In Too Deep
by DarkMoonX
Summary: Originally done by DarkmoonX. Story put back up. What happens when Link signs a contract to the demon lord Ghirahim? Fans know, others read to find out. LinkxGhirahim. Slash. Rated M for many reasons..
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello, Ghiralink fans! I've brought this story back after taking it down. I do apologize, went through some stuff, and over it, now I'm posting this story back. May put up the other and finish it, but no more fanfictions after that. I'll only have three up total on my account, then I'll probably go idle. I still like this story. I admit it's a bit out there, and some people may really have a problem with it but... screw them.

**A/N original: **GhirahimxLink. I knew this was going to happen from the freaking moment Ghirahim invaded Link's personal space during their first fight. Gee, those developers really know how to make fan girls.

Summary: set after Skyward Sword. Ghirahim still lives and comes to visit Link one night at Skyloft. But he doesn't want a fight. No, instead, he wants to toy more with the boy who has made a fool out of him.

**Chapter 1**

_"Your incessant buzzing around my head like some irksome gadfly when I'm THIS busy is... Well, it's making me very disagreeable."_

I shake my head as I make my way to the town square. It's been nearly three months since I've fulfilled my destiny, since I've last seen Ghirahim. I'm not upset. After all, everything that's happened has been because of Ghirahim. And he's gone now, or so I thought. Recently, I've felt a strange change in the wind. I don't know what really happened to him but I don't think he's dead. In fact, I know he isn't, because memories of our meetings have appeared in my dreams lately. And now I'm thinking of things he's said to me, things I've wondered about.

But I shake them off. Many of the other students here at the Academy want me to open up to them, but I've never been much of a talker. They want me to open up because I've clammed myself up lately. The events that took place were great. I feel a weight on my shoulders, as if all that I've done may be in vain. As if, one day, even decades or centuries from now, something will happen again. A rift, so to speak. Furthermore, the worst part is that I left Zelda down below the surface to return to Skyloft. But only for a short while, as she and her father make plans to build a village for the people of Skyloft to go to.

On top of it all, it doesn't make me feel better that I want to be here in Skyloft. But I miss it and I also wanted some alone time away from Zelda. She mentioned us being more than friends a few days ago and it sort of took me by surprise. Not that I don't want to be more, but something is irking me lately. Something I can't quite put my finger on. And at the moment I just can't be with her. Not like that. I think she was a bit upset at my rejection.

As I clear my thoughts away, as I make my way down to the plaza, Orielle waves at me and comes up beside me.

"Hi, Link," she says. "Have you heard?"

I narrow my eyes at her. "Heard what?" I ask.

"There's a newcomer in town asking about you! Parrow says now that the surface is opened down below, we'll have more visitors up here! And he certainly looks mysterious."

I get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. It's been following me around all day. I instantly think of Ghirahim but wave the notion off with a smile. "Of course. Skyloft is legendary to the people below. I'm sure lots of people will want to visit now."

"We've had visitors, but none like him. And he asked specifically about you."

"Why?" I swallow hard.

She shrugs her shoulders. "Not sure. Maybe you should pay him a visit. He's up at the Bazaar now, at Piper's cafe."

I wave to her before heading up the hill to the Bazaar, slowly. Every step closer I take the more the knot in my stomach twists. And when I get to the top, I have no choice but to go in, because I see Parrow walking my way and the last thing I want to hear is him talking more about the newcomer. I swallow hard as I make my way inside. Everything is dimmer inside. Many people are at the cafe but they are all people I recognize. I don't see anyone different. No mysterious man Orielle was talking about.

I sigh in relief and sit down for a minute. As I look across the table I see Croo, the elderly man always here in the cafe.

"Oh, hey, Link!" he says. "A young man just left a few minutes ago. He was asking for you. He told me to give you this should you come up this way." He hands a folded piece of parched paper to me and I take it.

I nod my head at him, give him my thanks, and leave abruptly. Once I'm outside the Bazaar I look around. I don't notice that my hand is shaking until I look down. I open my hand up, look at the paper. Since no one is around I unfold it.

There, written in black ink, are two words.

_** Cemetery, tonight.**_

I'm baffled by what I read, so I end up reading it five times. Then I crumple the paper up in my hand and walk away from the Bazaar. Something tells me it's him, but I can't be too sure. Either way, I have to make a decision. Go or don't go.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

My curiosity gets the best of me and I go, around 10 pm, when most everyone is asleep. I sigh and lean against the tree in the cemetery once I get there. The sun has just gone down. Whoever wants to meet me here better have a good reason. I brought my sword with me, in case the dreams I've been having come true.

I look out over the sky as I wait. The stars are shining bright in the deep sky. I love gazing at them when I have a lot on my mind.

_"It's making me very disagreeable."_

I growl and rip myself from the tree. I hate thinking about Ghirahim. But what he told me that time, it's etched in my mind and won't go away. I just want to know what he meant. He had been disagreeable about what? About bringing his master back? Had I possibly faltered his decision? And if so, how?

I scratch at my neck and kick a piece of rock that's chipped off one of the tombstones. That's when I get the feeling again. That irksome, twisting feeling in my gut. That same feeling _he_ gave me every time we met. The same feeling I've been having the past three days. Now it feels as if someone is watching me, so I whip my head around and look around. I'm relieved to see no one, just a few leaves falling from the tree. But now I'm wondering if this was a set up.

When I turn back around I hear a noise this time. "Who's there?" I say, and draw my sword.

I hear a chuckle, one that's all too familiar. "Why, Link, I'm quite disappointed. I thought you'd be a bit quicker than that."

I look up slowly, at the tree, and see two eyes staring down at me. "Ghirahim?" I say softly.

He chuckles again. "You really are quite adorable, Link. But yes, it is I, Lord Ghirahim."

"Why are you here?"

"Well this is a real treat, I must say. It's not every day you hear the hero speak so boldly, or much at all. Now you're full of questions."

"Just answer it," I say sharply.

"Mm, and he's got a tongue on him too. I'll have to keep that in mind."

I narrow my eyes at him and point my sword at him. "Talk."

He smiles in the shadows. "Fine, if you want to know so badly. We'll skip past the small talk. I'm here because I've been following you."

I swallow hard, but it still isn't the answer I'm looking for. "Why?"

At this he looks at me a moment, gazing down my body. It makes me feel uncomfortable so I look away, which he laughs at. "I followed you because I have nothing better to do."

"I thought you were dead. I thought you were a spirit-"

"No," he cuts in. "I was bound to my master's sword, but when he was defeated by _you_ I was freed. You see, I was human once too. Then I became a demon. Then the spirit of his sword. It was all for him, and because of _you _it was all in vain."

"It was planned. It was prophecy. You can't stop that."

"Try me."

I'm taken aback by his comment and look away from his staring eyes. "So that was you in the Bazaar today. You're the newcomer?"

"Honestly, hero, use your head for once. Yes. I got you right where I want you. Here."

"So you've come to kill me then?"

He chuckles, deep in his chest, and leans into the light. "Of course not. I'm here to play with you."

"I don't understand," I say, ignoring him. "If' you're no longer bound then what are you now?"

He sighs and leans back against the tree. "Do we really have to use labels? Well, why don't you tell me for yourself." He hops down from the tree and I back up with my sword.

I can see now, as he comes into the light of the moon, that he no longer wears the strange clothes he once had. No white or black shapes. His skin is still the same pale tan and his hair still looks the same white, except it's a bit disheveled. Instead of the red cape he once wore, he now has a rugged black one around his back, along with loose fitted trousers and shirt. All over common clothes, except dark. And overall, he looks incredibly human. Not that he didn't before, but even more so now. The shadows under his eyes have even deepened. I can only imagine that this is what my soul looks like right now. Battered and broken. Yet he still carries that superior mindset of his.

"Like what you see?" he asks.

I wince at his comment and look away, uncomfortable now. But something stirs within me, something I can't quite place.

"Tell me, Link. What am I?"

"Uh," I hesitate. "You look..human."

He smiles crookedly. "It's because I am."

I try to understand it all but I can't help but think he's lying. He's my enemy. He can't be trusted.

"Would you kindly put that sword away? Humans bleed. I would hate for myself to have an..accident on your blade there. Not that it's much of one."

"Why don't you prove you're human first, then I'll put the sword away."

He rolls his head but smiles. "Now you're using your head," he says. "Alright then." He extends his arm and places his hand palm up.

I look at him and wonder if it's a trick.

"Just do it, Link. You're beginning to make me angry."

And I know how he is when he's angry. I wince when I think that, as if I know him so well. Either way, I take the sword and make a cut across his hand. His jaw twitches and as soon as the blade comes away from his hand I gasp in surprise at the red oozing out of the cut I've just made.

"See," he says. "Human."

He then brings his hand up to his mouth and licks at the wound.

I look away in disgust but lower my sword. Then I hear something tear and I look back to see him wrapping something around the wound I just made.

"As if you haven't cut me enough," he says. "But since you're following along so nice I'll let it pass."

"You're really not here to kill me then? This isn't some trick?"

He folds his arms across his chest. "I'm not as strong as I once was, but I can still break you. And you, you don't have the master sword, do you?" He chuckles deep and cocks his head at me. "Neither of us are as strong as we once were. We're now broken men."

My chest aches at that for a moment. As I said I would, I put my sword away but I back up anyway, in case he turns on me.

He smiles crookedly at me and watches as I back up. "Tell me what you want so I can leave," I say. I really, honestly don't know why he's here.

He rubs the back of his head and strolls a few steps forward. "Why, Link, I thought you'd be glad to see me. After all, it's been so long. All our long talks we had, all the thoughts we've had about one another. You mean to tell me you don't miss me?"

"You tried to kill Zelda," I say sharply.

"No, I just needed her to reach my goal. It wasn't my fault you were attached to her. If it had been any other old fool you didn't know you wouldn't have thrown yourself to save them."

I look down, thinking on his words.

"I mean," he continues. "You never really seemed to care for anyone else other than her. It kind of made me sick, seeing you risk your life for that. And yet," He pauses, looks around a second. "I haven't seen her since I've arrived. Ah ha. Link. Don't tell me you're already tired of her?" He chuckles deep in his chest.

"It isn't like that!" I snap. "I just..needed some time alone."

"Ah. Time alone away from her."

I grit my teeth at that. And before I know it Ghirahim is by my side with his arm around my shoulder. I tense up and stop breathing.

"Don't worry, you can always cry on my shoulder if you'd like. What are friends for?"

His voice was full of sarcasm but his touch told different. I don't understand why he always felt the need to invade my personal space. I push him away and back up. But he doesn't look happy at the action. In fact, he looks a bit angry.

"Tell me why you're here or I'm leaving now," I say.

"Oh alright," he sighs. "You're so persistent. You always get your way, don't you? At least with me." He smiles before sitting down on the top of a tombstone. "I'm here to make a deal with you."

"Deal?"

He laughs deeply. "Yes. As you know, I'm a busy man, but I get bored so _easily_. This human thing, it can be awfully boring indeed. I need something to do with my time, something _productive_."

"How does any of that have to do with me?"

"Well see, that's where you come in." He's suddenly serious. He stands up off the tombstone and takes a few steps toward me until he's got me backed against the wall of the shed.

"I won't hesitate to use my sword," I say.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he says. "But if you don't strike this deal with me then I can't promise I won't hurt you or others in the future."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means if you don't do what I want you to do then I'm going to devote my boring life to everything you've destroyed. Mark my words, hero, everything you've done I will undo. I will find a way to bring my master back. I did it once, I can do it again."

That irksome feeling I've been feeling for the past few days is back. And I know why now. Because I know what Ghirahim is saying rings true. I've already felt the weight, the weight that a rift will happen again if I'm not careful. And Ghirahim is just as persistent as I am. I know he'll do what he says.

"So it all comes down to you, Link," he says. "I can take a flight out of here and back down below to do some research, even if it takes the rest of my long life. And if I don't find anything, I'll find some way to make your life a living hell. Maybe I'll start with that pretty girl of yours first. She may not be able to make it to marriage one day if she happens to have an accident."

He smiles big and I shrink against the wall. I don't know what else to do now. If he kills Zelda then it will be my fault. "What would you have me do?" I ask, at a loss of words.

"Become my slave."

"I won't do any research for you," I snap.

"No, not that kind of slave."

I haven't noticed until now that he's only inches away and looking down at me. His height is glowering and intimidating. And with all he's said, I don't have a choice, but I still don't understand what he wants.

"Stop-stop talking in riddles and just tell me," I say.

He sighs and rolls his eyes. "You really are as innocent as they come, aren't you? I want your _body_, Link."

I narrow my eyes and my lips twitch. "_What_?" I'm so shocked I feel dizzy for a few seconds.

"I get to use your body to fulfill my needs as a man. In return you get a life free of my interfering with all this goddess nonsense to arouse my master once again. Oh yes, and keeping Zelda safe."

It wasn't even much, but it felt like the biggest, sickest thing I've ever heard. But if I don't do it he'll destroy everything I love and know.

He pulls a scroll out of his pouch. "So do we have a deal? I don't have all night. You see, I have a contract here stating what you'll do for me. If you don't sign it we'll forget the whole thing and you can worry about me later on, at some random time. Probably when you'll least expect it. Perhaps when you've settled down with that blonde or some other whore, maybe when you have a couple of little brats running around."

He hands me the contract and I read over it. It says exactly as he just told me, except for some details at the bottom. He wants my body for sex, and I'm supposed to hand it to him any way he wants it. I swallow hard and hesitate when he hands me an ink pen.

I don't have a choice when he's making threats but the idea is so sickening. "Won't you let me think about it first?"

"Hm," he thinks, looking up at the sky. "Sure, you go ahead and give it some time. In the meantime, I'll head on down below and make a visit to a certain girl who I'm sure is just _dying _to meet me." He backs away from me, a smile on his face, and moves toward the edge of the cemetery.

I look down at the contract, then back at him, then back again. I chew at my lip. He hasn't even given me time to read it all. But now he's at the edge and looking over and down below.

"And this offer is going, going, going," he says, then puts a foot out over the edge, ready to fall. "Gone."

"Okay wait!" I yell.

He freezes where he is and before I know it, my hand is shaking as it writes out, _**Link**_.

And as soon as I'm done he snatches the scroll away and grabs a fistful of my shirt in his hand. "You're mine, now, hero."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I don't know how I agreed to this. Maybe he had been bluffing, but it hadn't seemed like it at the time. He follows me back to my room at the Academy and I'm scared stiff. Then he locks the door and makes himself at home on my bed.

"Nice little shack you've got here," he says, his arms behind his head on my pillow.

I slowly take my boots off but my hands are shaking so hard that one of them falls on the floor.

He eyes me curiously at that, raising his brow.

I bite at my lip and move to the next boot, this time moving slower. But he seems annoyed and impatient.

"Hurry up, will you? It's not every day you get to do this with a hero."

He's being sarcastic, of course, and it stings because I know he's making fun of me. When I finally stand up he looks at me from the bed and sits up on the edge.

I avoid his eyes as I look down, then I say what's been on my mind since I signed that contract. "I don't understand," I begin. "Out of all the things you could do to me, you chose this."

He cocks his head and gives a crooked smile. "I have my reasons, but most of all, I want to see the hero of the goddesses bend to my will."

"This is about power, then."

He gives a soft laugh, then stands up. I jump back when he does and he cocks an eyebrow at me. "Why are you so nervous?"

"My enemy..a disgusting thing to do with my enemy," is all I can get out.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I've been looking forward to this." He licks his lips and grabs me. Then he presses his lips against mine hard but I push him away. He only laughs at my response, then he takes his cape off, then his shirt.

I blush at that. He has a few scars on him, which makes him look very human. That little fact alone makes me feel slightly, only slightly, better.

"Don't be so shy, Link," he says, and grabs me again. But this time he pulls my shirt off and forces me down onto the bed.

"Can't we take this slow?" I ask.

"No," he snaps, holding me down. "And if you struggle I can't guarantee I won't hurt you. Just a tip."

But I struggle against him anyway, because he's unwanted. Feeling his body so close to mine, it makes me feel sick. And when he kisses my lips again I turn away, but that doesn't stop him from licking my jaw and neck. I'd almost rather him kiss my lips then other parts of my body. But it's too late now, as he's nipping at my chest. Then he bites on something else and I seethe in pain. He seems to like my reaction, though, so I try not to do that again.

I close my eyes and hope it's all just a dream, but it's all too real when he pulls my trousers off. And then we're both unclothed and he's barring his weight down on me. Since he's so much taller than I am, he has to arch his back to kiss at my neck. While his hands are roving my body my own are pinned to the side, gripping the blanket in my fingers. My body is so tense and stiff that it almost hurts to resist what he's doing.

Then I feel it, his hand on that certain part. That part I wish wouldn't react to his hand movements, but they do, and I hate it. He's invading my body but I'm giving it to him of my own consent. I signed the contract. This is what I have to deal with. I just don't understand why he has to touch me so hard. I'm sure to have bruises in the morning, if I live through this.

"I just love that you're responding to all this," he laughs. "Who would've thought you would actually _like _this."

"No," I say. "I don't..like it."

"Oh, but I think you do. Such a dirty boy."

I grit my teeth but my eyes remain closed.

"Enough of that. Open your eyes."

When I don't open them he grabs at that certain place again but this time the way he's touching me hurts. "**Open them**," he demands.

And this time I do. He lets go and then grabs my jaw in his hand. He opens my mouth with his fingers and sticks one inside. I make a noise and try to jerk away but his grip on my jaw is strong. He also begins twisting my arm with his free hand so I stop struggling and let him continue.

I wake up alone in my bed, still naked and damp. The ordeal last night hadn't taken long but at the time it had felt like forever. When he had finished he told me to go to sleep. Then he left abruptly. I haven't seen him since. But I've only just woke up. I don't know what time it is but I know it's daylight at least.

As I attempt to sit up I wince. I'm sore all over, from places he's touched me, places he's prodded me. I feel filthy now but tell myself I had no other choice. I only hope he doesn't come back wanting more anytime soon. I couldn't handle it now. He was so rough that I bled but it wasn't much.

A dull pain is pounding in my head so I get up, put on my clothes, and head out the door toward the bathroom. There, I soak myself in the tub and scrub away the filth from last night. His fingerprints are all over me in bruises. In all honesty, I didn't realize he had handled me that roughly. After about thirty minutes, I head down to the kitchen, where Henya is preparing lunch.

"Are you just now waking, Link?" she asks. "You shouldn't stay out so late!"

I smile at her before taking a bowl of soup to the table, where Fledge is seated.

"Hey, Link," he starts.

I mumble a "Hey" and sit down across from him.

"Oh, are you alright? You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine. Bad sleep. Tossed and turned."

"I'm sorry."

I nod at him and begin to eat. The food helps some.

After I eat I head out of the Academy and down to the bridge that crosses to the other side of town. I stand there for a while, just looking into the water, and toss a few rocks. Some fish swim away as a pebble grazes the surface. I thought about leaving Skyloft and returning to Zelda and Gaebora, but I'm too afraid that if I go where they are Ghirahim will find them and make things worse. It may look like I'm trying to run away.

I purse my lips at that and throw a pebble so hard that it flies over the stream and out into the sky. It makes me angry that he's taken my life and is using it for his own. Of course, all I have to do is kill him. Challenge him to a fight. I did before, three times to be exact. Then again I had the master sword. But I was still a mere human and he was more than that. I still had to be stronger than him.

I shake my head. No, I would have to kill him another way. For all I know, he could have something up his sleeve. He could be watching me when I don't know it, which makes me wonder where he's gone. He could know everything about where Zelda is, which is why I have to go about this cautiously, go along with it for now. I can't run to Zelda, because he may find me. And if I fight him, there's no telling who will win. I won it before, but I can't assume that it will happen again, because for all I know, it could be a trap.

I sigh and move away from the bridge only to see Orielle coming my way.

"Hello, Link," she says cheerfully. "Dreary day, isn't it?"

I look up at the sky and nod. The clouds are gray and I've already felt a few sprinkles. "Yes, it is." It matches how I feel, is what I want to say, but I'm not bringing any more drama into this town.

"The newcomer who asked about you yesterday, did you find him?" she asked.

I look at her and my heart seems to stop. "Uh," I start. "No, I never saw him."

And hopefully, I won't see him again. But if I do, I'll be sure to slit his throat when he's not paying attention.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I'm relieved when Ghirahim doesn't show up late in the night. I lock my door, just to be cautious, grab my dagger, and lay down on my bed. I had an extra change of blankets and sheets for my bed I put on earlier. Ghirahim's scent had been lingering on it, which had made me feel sick.

As I'm laying there, I close my eyes and listen to the rain beat against the Academy. The occasional lighting lights the room up and a bolt of thunder follows behind it. I hold my dagger in my hand, underneath the blankets. I'm a bit nervous about falling asleep but when I feel myself growing tired I extend my arm and put the candle flame beside me out with my fingers. Then I begin to doze, but not for long.

With my mind still foggy, I open my eyes when I hear a noise. My body stiffens and my hand clenches tight around the hilt of my dagger. I hear a creak and see my door open slowly. My body grows hot because I know it's him. I'm now in a very dangerous situation.

I swallow hard when I hear the door close and lock. He's in the room with me now, alone and in the dark. I close my eyes, pretend to sleep, only to throw him off. He won't expect the dagger when it comes for him. I hear him make his way to my bed. His boots thud on the ground, and he stops at the beside. For what seems like minutes, he stands there and I know he's watching me. Watching me sleep, for whatever sick reason. My heart is pounding so hard I'm sure he can hear it from where he's standing, even over the thunder.

And then it happens, so quickly. He touches my face with his finger and I jump up. I start to sit up, to ready my blade, but he clamps his hand down on my mouth and moves over on top of me quickly.

"Shh," he coos, and strokes my face with his other hand. "Did you think you would rid of me that easily, boy?"

I realize now that he doesn't know about the dagger still in my hand, because it's too dark to notice. This fills me with a little more hope.

"Were you trying to lock me out? Tsk, tsk. Not a very loyal thing for a slave to do to his owner."

I stare at him and can see his eyes when the lightning lights the room up. His eyes look droopy and worn. Then again it could just be the bad lighting. Or maybe he's just supposed to look that way.

He peels his hand away from my mouth and a I gasp a few times, letting the fear within me loosen up.

"I..I didn't know," I say. "I always lock my door."

"Now we both know that's a lie. You want to know how I know it's a lie?" He moves in close to my face, grazes my cheek with his lips, and comes close to my ear. "Because I've already watched you sleep numerous times before," he whispers.

I wince in disgust. It's true, that I don't always lock my door, but I can only hope to the goddesses that he has never actually watched me sleep, except for tonight. But I know I'm wrong and now he has the upper hand. He's also in a good position for me to stab him in the back, so I move my right arm out to ready my blade.

"It's been a long, _boring_ day for me, hero," he says. "Why don't we bring a little fun into it?"

I don't resist when he kisses my lips this time, because it'll be better to distract him. Instead, I reluctantly kiss him back, and when he pushes his tongue into my mouth I let him. He's already got a good grip on my jaw with his left hand and it hurts. It's his other hand I have to keep busy so I hesitantly move my left arm up and snake my hand up to grip his shoulder.

"Mm," he starts. "Being submissive tonight? I'll take whatever I can get."

I move my mouth away from his and let him nip at my neck since he seems to like doing it anyway, the vermin. That's when I raise my right arm up fast and..hesitate. But before I know it, he's pulling away from me and gripping my right arm in his hand. He snatches the dagger from my hand and growls.

"You little maggot," he spits.

When the lightning flashes I bolt up into a sitting position and see him at the edge of the bed. Then I see a flame ignite and the candle beside my bed is burning again. I can see him in the dim light now. My heart is still pounding fast now, because now he has the dagger and I'm cornered.

"If you wanted to kill me," he says. "Why didn't you just do it the old fashioned way? Coward."

I bite my lip.

"So you want to play with knives, do you?" He runs two of his fingers up the blade and feels the tip a few times. "Sharp too. Fine. We'll have it your way, then. Let this be a lesson to you."

He grabs me and forces me down on the bed again. He removes my shirt, trousers, then his own, just like last night. But he still has the dagger in his hand. He places the tip of the blade on my stomach. "You scream," he says. "You fight, I won't hesitate to plunge this into you."

And I don't scream when he runs the blade over my skin. Instead I hold it in, my face contorted. And I don't fight when he licks at the blood now running down my skin. He makes a few more cuts on my body, but stops when I beg him to.

"What's that?" he asks. "Is the hero really pleading with me?"

"Yes," I say. "Please stop."

He chuckles deep. "Well, naturally I'd decline, but since it's you I'll make an exception, because I don't want to mess up that pretty face of yours next. But in the meantime, this-" he holds up the dagger. "Is going with me." He throws it across the room and I hear it land on the floor.

I brace myself when he kisses me again and struggle this time.

"You were being so good before," he said. "In fact, I might say I felt a little..warm and fuzzy inside when you kissed me like you did." He laughs mockingly and grabs my jaw with his hand. "But I know you don't like this. You hate me, and I despise you. But it just feels so _good_ when it's with someone so _legendary_."

I try to move my face away but he jerks me back to look at him, so I finally answer him. "You're jealous," I say. "Jealous because I finished something you started and you lost."

He doesn't like that because he slaps me hard across my face. And I actually chuckle at the action. Because the pain wasn't in his slap, it was in the scars bleeding down my body. It was in the way he was using me. The way I felt inside. So instead of groaning I laughed, because it was better than cowering down.

"You find this funny?" he asks. "Or do you just like playing rough?"

I don't answer. Instead I lay my head back on the pillow and take a few deep breaths. Then I hear a growl and he flips me over onto my stomach, where I do wince in pain this time, because the cuts he's made are rubbing against my sheets. He wastes no time in using me. The moment I feel him inside me, I groan in pain, gripping at the sheets with my fingers. It's worse this time, because I know he hates my guts even more now. Every thrust he gives me is rough, even though he has a sadistic way of trying to soothe me with his hands. He rubs them up my back and into my hair, which feels gross. But I don't let up, I don't tell him to stop, because I agreed to this. And if I can take it, it only shows him that whatever he throws at me, I can catch.

But tonight, he takes his time with me. He whispers dirty things in my ears, bites at my neck, and even sucks on my skin, hard. When he touches me, it's like he's kneading his hands into my body, which makes me react by cringing or pulling away, which only makes him do it more. I'm not aroused like I was the previous night, because I'm in too much pain. The blood seems to be rushing to my wounds instead. If I hadn't brought the dagger, if I hadn't told him he was jealous, if I hadn't laughed, I wouldn't be hurting this badly. Everything that's happening tonight is my own fault. And now I'm the one with his face to the ground, being used by my enemy.

"You still feel like laughing?" he asks, close to my ear.

"No," I whisper.

"I didn't hear you."

"No!" I yell, hoping I haven't woken anyone up.

"Good boy," he says. And then he does it, finishes inside me. He grunts at each thrust and breathes into my neck until he stops. Then he pulls away and sits up on his knees.

All I do is lay there while he gets up and pulls his trousers on, hoping for him to leave. But he doesn't. Instead, he sits back down on my bed. I look back at him and he gives me a look.

"What?" he says. "You think I can fly out in this mess?"

I realize now that it's still storming outside. It hasn't let up at all. What a cheap trick, coming out here during a storm. "I'm going to the bath," I say, and move to sit up. I can feel him oozing out of me. It sickens me so I pull my clothes on fast and bolt for the door, but it hurts to move. The blood from the cuts are dry now but I still bring an extra change of clothes. As I make my way to the door Ghirahim picks up my dagger that he threw earlier.

"I'll just hang on to this for you," he says.

I eye him a few seconds before leaving. I don't want to see his face anymore.

I take a long time in the bath. I make sure to scrub every part of myself that he's touched and wash away the dried blood on my torso. I even wash my hair since he dug his fingers into it. When I'm done I sit there for a while and rub my neck. I don't want to go back to my room since I know he's there, but when I start dozing I know I need to leave. It wouldn't look good if I were to fall asleep and have someone walk in on me looking the way I do now. So I get up and slowly make my way back to my room.

Unfortunately, Ghirahim is still there when I open the door, sitting in my chair. My hair is still dripping wet but my clothes are now hiding all the marks he's given me, or so I thought. Because as I make my way to my bed he chuckles.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

"You mean aside from those lovely beauty marks on your neck?"

I look at him in surprise, then rush to the small hand mirror sitting on my desk. I gasp when I see at least three purple places on my neck from where he's sucked at my skin. I growl and throw down the mirror, then sit on my bed.

He chuckles at me again. "Come on, Link, lighten up. You can leave one on me some time. One."

"I'll save myself the displeasure, thanks," I respond.

He rolls his head and stands to his feet. "I need somewhere to sleep tonight," he says.

"Bathroom's down the hall."

His lips turn up at that. I hate that he likes every negative thing I say to him, as if it feeds his ego. "I thought I would use your bed. Who knows, maybe I'll have a frisky dream and wake up next to you. Then we can play it out."

"I'd rather take the bathroom."

He sighs and looks down at me. He touches my damp hair but I push away his arm with force, which only makes him laugh. "You look tired," he says.

"I'm not sleeping until you leave."

"Then we'll just have to pass the time until the storm lets up." He smiles cruelly.

I close my eyes and let my shoulders slump. I'm very tired and he's finding every way possible to get me to do what he wants. "I don't want to," I say.

"I don't care what you don't want." He almost laughs saying it. "This isn't about you."

"Then _who_ is it about?"

He doesn't respond, only folds his arms against his chest and stares at me. "Oh look," he says, still watching my eyes. "The storm's letting up. Lucky you. This time."

Before he leaves he takes my dagger off my desk and strolls out of the room. It's only then that I feel relieved.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

The next day I'm confronted by Pipit, who asks me about a shadowy figure he saw leaving the Academy last night.

"I've asked everyone about it," he says to me. "Do you know anything about it, Link?"

I raise my brows and try to think of an answer. "Probably someone from town sneaking into the Academy," I respond.

He growls. "Pesky kids," he says. "Well, if you happen to see them again come get me."

I can only wish. Instead I nod my head and make my way into town. I stop by the bazaar to get some fruit and soup from Piper, then I make my way down the waterfall on the other side of town. I pull my boots off, sit on the edge of the bank, away from everyone else, and bite into an apple I got from town. A lot of the people in town and at the Academy have told me I've been withdrawn since I came back to Skyloft. But it's not like they cared before. Since I stepped up to my destiny they've all been eager to talk to me. I was quiet then, though, so why shouldn't I be now?

I suppose it's a bit annoying is all, having to deal with them most of the time. Because most of them want to talk about what happened, not about how I am. Maybe it's just me, though. Ghirahim had been right when he told me I only did it for Zelda. Had it been anyone else..well, I might have helped, but risk my life, numerous of times..I'm not sure. I've helped the people of Skyloft many times before, which is why they like me I guess. So it's isn't their fault at all if they want to know what happened on my journey. I just wish they'd stop talking about it.

It's as I'm sitting with my head in the clouds that I hear it, that voice. I become stiff and my eyes widen when I hear that soft chuckle from nearby. I know too well who it is. I look around and see no one else is around but I also don't see him either. Had I just thought I had heard it? Had it been the wind instead?

"Enjoying your day, hero?" comes his voice. No, definitely not the wind.

I relax a bit and roll my eyes before looking behind me, only to see him standing near the ledge. "What do you want?" I ask.

"What, I can't visit in the daytime? And I was beginning to think you missed me," he said sarcastically, chuckling behind me.

I cringe at that and jump when he sits down beside me.

"You're such a jumpy boy, you know that? You were jumpy even during our fights, but I tell you, you certainly didn't mind being touched."

"You twist everything around to make it look like I enjoy whatever you do to me."

Ghirahim chuckles and slings an arm over my shoulder, which makes me tense. "See," he says. "Why can't you just relax with me for once? We can talk, man to man."

"I don't want to be near you!" I say and push him away. I jump to my feet and back away.

He doesn't look happy about that. His jaw tightens and I can see his fists clenching.

"I made a deal with you," I say. "But for how long? Are you just going to keep coming back?"

"Yes."

That pit in my stomach is beginning to turn hollow. The rest of my life dealing with him? Night after night? I don't know if I can handle it. Sooner or later I will have to face him head on.

"Don't go getting any ideas in that little head of yours. You're mine now, Link."

"You may own the contract but you don't own me."

He chuckles at that.

"What's so funny?" I ask. "This isn't a game."

"You. That's what's funny. Because you're wrong, Link. Very wrong. I _do _own you. You signed a very special contract."

That pit in my stomach, it feels twisted now. "What do you mean?" I ask.

"I mean," he pauses and cracks his neck. "That you signed a contract prepared specifically for you from me. I made sure to make all the special requirements. You made a deal not with just anyone, but a demon."

I gasp. "But you said-"

"What, that I'm human? Well, it's only half true. Part of me is still demon, because I was born this way. The other half, well, I suppose you could say I get it from my mother's side." He smiles cruelly and I wince. "So _yes_," he snaps his fingers and in one quick motion I'm frozen. He has me in some kind of mind hold and I can't move. "I do own you. So why don't you come into this cave behind me and I'll tell you a bit more."

With a forward motion of his finger I begin to walk, but not on my own. I swallow hard, trying to fight back against him, but it's no use. He's using some kind of magic on me and before long I'm deep in the cave with him. I can hear the waterfall in the background outside. It almost sounds like what's going through my head right now. A dull, consistent noise.

"Stop," he says and suddenly he pins me up against the wall of the cave. He turns and faces me, then slowly makes his way to me. "I'll bet you're wondering how I do it. Magic, perhaps?" He chuckles. "No, not magic. Magic is such..a child's fantasy. I have my own powers that the demon part of me possesses. But it takes years of skill to master them. For example, this little trick. I call it the Mind Bend. You're unable to move but you're mind is going crazy with what's happening. You're scared, I can see it. But don't worry."

I blink when he slams his hand against the wall beside me. He's close to my face now so I turn my face away, the only thing I can really move.

"Don't be that way, Link," he says, and runs a finger down my cheek.

Since I can't stop him all I can do is cringe and close my eyes.

"I'll tell you a little secret, if you promise not to tell, my pet."

I open my eyes and dare to look at him. I think he likes me looking at him because he smiles at me.

"I can't just use this mind bending power on anyone," he continues. "I have to have something first. Something that belongs to the victim."

I begin breathing fast and my mind races to him taking away everything I had wanted to save for someone else, for someone gentle, someone like Zelda.

"I'm actually glad you brought that dagger last night, because if you hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to lick those wounds of yours."

My mind stops racing just enough for me to stop and look up at him in curiosity at what he's saying.

"That's right," he smiles. "Your blood. It's the fuel I needed to make you bend to my will."

My mouth hangs open at that. "I don't understand," I whisper.

"It means I now officially own you. As a matter of fact, the contract is practically void now. But I won't discard it just yet, seeing as that would dispel you from any further physical action between us. No, I think I'll hang onto it a little bit longer."

He takes my jaw in his hand and moves in close to my face. I feel his lips graze mine and within seconds he's kissing me roughly.

It gets to be too much when he puts his hands on me. I don't like being able to not push him away. I don't like him feeling me when there's nothing I can do about. Not like this, bound the way I am.

"Please," I beg. "Let me go."

"When you understand the concept that I do own you, that you and I are _bound by a thread of fate_, then I'll let you go."

I open my eyes when he says that. He's making his way down my jaw with his lips. I've heard that one before, about how we're strung together by fate. And I can't help but think..that maybe it's true. Maybe this is what is supposed to happen.

When he grabs me from behind and presses me against him I yelp because it's sudden, and because I can't do anything. He places his hand on my neck and chuckles.

"I see you tried to cover those marks. What a wonderful artist you are." He licks at the tender spot on my skin he sucked at last night.

I had used paint to cover the marks up but he'll easily uncover them if he continues to do what he's doing. His hand on my neck hurts and at last I can't take it anymore. "Okay!" I say. "I get it. You own me. I'm..yours..bound to you now."

Ghirahim stops and looks down at me. "Well, that wasn't so hard now, was it?" He grabs me and I grunt. "One of these days you're going to like this. Trust me on that. Oh, and your blood," he smiles. "It was the finest I've ever tasted. I'll see you tonight."

He backs away from me and then I'm on the floor, coughing and on my knees. I see him disappear from the cave, toward the exit, and think about what just happened. He had tasted my blood last night..and that was how he..had taken control of me? And now he owns me..?

I slump against the wall and shake my head, my mind a complete mess now.

Ghirahim comes that night, as he said he would. And he's using his mind powers on me yet again. He has me held against my bed now, completely against my will. I'm on my stomach as he thrusts against me from behind.

Each thrust makes me cry out and makes the bed creak, which eventually makes him say, "I think you need a more sturdy bed, hero. This one is wearing out."

I close my eyes against his breath on my ear. And then I hear it. A knock on the door.

Ghirahim stops his movement on me and my eyes widen. He places a finger on my lips and says, "Shh." He lets go of me and for a moment I feel I can breathe better. "Go to the door," he says. He steps out of the way and leans against the wall by the door and waits as I struggle to get my clothes on. I hurry, and end up putting my shirt on backwards, but there's no time to keep lingering and whoever is at the door keeps knocking.

When I open it I'm relieved to see it's only Pipit, but also a bit annoyed at Ghirahim standing behind the door.

"Pipit," I say. "Is something wrong?"

"I..was wondering that about you. I was on my way out to patrol and heard you yell out."

"Oh." I try to keep the door cracked. "I have bad dreams sometimes and move around a lot."

He makes a face. "Hm. Well, alright then. Let me know if you see that intruder again. I'm staying out extra long tonight. I'm determined to catch the guy."

I force a smile and nod at him before he waves and leaves. I hesitate as I take a step outside the door to watch Pipit leave. I half consider calling after Pipit and asking if I can go with him to patrol. But I know someone wouldn't like that. That someone who is now calling my name, who has a hand on my shoulder.

"Uggg!" is what sort of escapes my mouth when my enemy drags me back into the room.

The door closes and locks behind me and then he's suddenly locking lips with me again. He removes my clothes again and when I'm naked once more I put my hands up against his bare chest, to push him away, but he's got a strong hold on me. So it ends up being an endless struggle against the door.

"Forget the bed," he says. "It's too creaky anyway. We might just wake someone up next time."

He doesn't use his mind power on me again, but he does manage to pull me down to the cold ground. The cobblestones are so cold against my skin that I seethe and curl into myself, which makes it difficult to struggle against him. Instead, I end up feeling him a lot more than I want to. But every time he goes for my face, my lips, I always turn away. I don't like his mouth on me at all, but I never want him near my face.

I want this to be over, and the only way that can happen is if he finishes early. And I know that anything I do in response to him will trigger that. He likes when I respond back. It's not hard to understand that he's the touchy feel type, even if it is in a sadistic or harsh way. So I respond to the treatment he's giving me by moving my hand from his chest to his neck. I cup it there, kind of use it to hang onto him as he thrusts into me.

As much as I hate it, he likes it, and urges me to place my other hand up there. So I do and soon I'm hanging onto his body as he gives me his. What's worse, I've wrapped my legs around him, which has made him growl in satisfaction.

And then it happens, just as I hoped it would. He finishes, but on me rather than in me. Now I'm laying on the ground, shivering from the cold stones underneath me as he uses my knee to stand up with his hand.

"Heh, you really are something else, hero," Ghirahim says. He throws a rag at me and it lands on my chest. "Clean yourself up."

I grit my teeth but I do as he suggests. Then I pull my clothes on as he sits in my chair. "Don't you have something to do?" I ask.

"Why, no, actually. I don't. Why, you want me to leave?"

"Yes."

He chuckles and I roll my eyes. "You really aren't the 'linger in bed' type, are you? I'm just wondering what poor little Zelda will do that first time it happens. Will you demand she leaves the room as well?"

"It's different when it's someone you can actually stand." I glare at him hard from where I'm sitting on my bed.

He stands up, in front of me, and crosses his arms. "You know that's not true. If you really couldn't stand me, you wouldn't be doing this with me. You wouldn't have done it with me three times already. Or is it four? I'm already beginning to lose count."

"I let you stay a while last night because of the storm. I..just want to be alone now."

He raises his chin, as if considerate for a second. "Well, if you don't remember, your little friend is outside right now as we speak, patrolling the area."

"You can leave out the other way. Pipit won't spot you. He hardly ever spots me when I leave in the middle of the night."

He looks around the room and then his eyes fall on me. "No," he says, and puts his finger under my chin. "I think I like it fine just right _here_."

My face falls and he chuckles. I don't know how to get rid of him.

"Let's multiply the number..three, was it? Maybe four? Heh, why not just make it three times four? You'll go for that, won't you? I've got all night, and if you don't then I'll just use a little mind bending."

I sigh and my shoulders droop. How does he keep on like this? "Can we," I start to ask, then stop because for me to ask him to handle me a certain way while we do this again is like asking for it completely. But if it means less pain then I'll try.

"What?" he snaps.

"Can we take this a bit slow this time?"

He smiles cruelly at that. "Are you _suggesting_ something, hero?"

"Please stop calling me that," I say. I put a hand to my head and close my eyes.

"What would you rather me call you? Something dirty, a nickname perhaps? Or..your name?"

I look up at him at that.

"Heh. Link it is, then." He pushes me back down on the bed and it all happens again.

But he does as I asked. He actually takes it slow. So much, in fact, that I'm getting goosebumps from his tongue licking at my neck. Then down to my stomach, leaving a trail. I close my eyes, for whatever reason, and curl my hands into the sheets. It's not like it feels good so I don't know why I'm even doing it. Then my eyes pop open and I gasp. He has his mouth around my arousal. I didn't even know I was aroused.

I jump up at the action and move away, blinking at him.

"What?" he smiles crookedly. "It's time to try new things, don't you think?"

When he did that..it had made me feel..odd, as if I had liked it. But I don't want to like it.

"I do it to you, _hero_, you do it to me. That's what I want right now."

I purse my lips and look away, but I'm not prepared for what he does next. I gasp when I feel his lips at that place again. I put my hands on his shoulders and try to push him away but he has a good grip on me and so I just fall back onto the bed and my lids begin to narrow. I _don't_ want to admit it out loud, not at all, but it feels good. And for a few minutes, just these few, I forget about everything going on. I get so into what he's doing to me that I almost forget that it's even him. Instead, I imagine someone else in his place. And that speeds things up even faster.

And before I know it, my hands are in his hair, pulling him into me more. And then I hit that peak, that peak I only ever hit when I'm by myself. I let myself go, let out an unwanted, involuntary moan into the air and arch my body up off the bed. It goes all over myself because now Ghirahim is laughing softly at me.

"I really didn't expect you to be so into it, hero. And to think, I'm more turned on by the way you respond than anything." He puts one of his fingers in his mouth and moves beside me on the bed. "I mean, I had played out several fantasies in my head during our time together in the past, but nothing compares to the real thing."

"You're sick," I growl.

He chuckles at that. "No, you just don't want to hear these things. Now return the favor."

I bite my lip before I do to him what he just did to me, because I have to. And when I do, I make a face, because I've never done this before and I hate it. He's taken everything from me. Even the thing that I do in my alone time. And the thing I hate the most is that I liked it. Just a little.

"For such a virgin, you sure are a natural," he says.

I wince when he pushes my head into him, much like I did to him, but rougher. It makes me choke and I have to gasp for air several times. And then it happens and I try to move my face away as he finishes. But some gets on me anyway and I make a face.

"You really shouldn't have turned that pretty face of yours," he says, breathing hard. "Next time I'll see that doesn't happen again."

I close my eyes and run a hand through my hair.

Ghirahim gets off my bed and suddenly dresses himself. Then he looks at me, still laying naked, and says, "You should get some rest, hero. You're no good to me tired."

Then he leaves. Just like that. And for some reason, I feel something in my chest fall.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

I go through the motions for a month. If he doesn't come every day, it's every other day. I'm slowly becoming used to it, too, which I hate. I hate to admit I've tried to enjoyed it and usually finish myself around him. He is still rough, but not as rough as when it all started. I've learned to ease into his techniques and to not make the situation worse by doing what he wants me to do and not talking back.

And then things start to change. I plan a visit to go see Zelda, and of course, he insists on going with me.

It's in the middle of the night, after he's just rough housed me, when he questions my packed bag sitting on the floor.

"Planning on going somewhere, pet?" he asks.

I sigh and say, "Yes, to see Zelda."

"Mm, how adorable. So is this a one night thing or will you be staying the whole week?"

"I..don't know."

"Well, to make sure you don't try and _plan_ anything, I'll go with you."

I look at him and furrow my brows. "What? No."

He frowns at that. "_No_? Fine then, I'll just see about dropping in on that pretty little blonde thing after I follow you."

I gasp and grit my teeth. "Leave her alone. She has nothing to do with us!"

"You're right. She doesn't."

I sense a hint of jealousy in his voice, which confuses me.

"I'm still going." I pause and sigh. "I guess I can't get around you, can I?" I throw my chair over and cross my arms. "Fine. Go with me but don't let Zelda and her father see you."

He quickly stands behind me. "You're acting like a spoiled brat," he hisses into my ear.

"So are you. Because you're jealous. Of me, or Zelda. Either way, I think you're just jealous because you know you can't have either of us in the end."

He suddenly grabs my jaw with his hand and before I know it I'm dealt a punch to the face. It's so hard I'm nearly sent across the room and hit my bed from the impact. I grunt and curl my fingers into the sheets, angry. Then I hear him crack his knuckles and clear his throat.

"If you're done belittling me then I'll be on my way."

I turn around to see him making his way to the door.

"Oh, and Link," he stops a moment before opening the door. "Remember I own your body down there just as much as I do up here."

I sigh and lay my head down on the bed as he leaves. I have to deal with him not only in Skyloft but down below too, on the land. Surely there has to be another way. Surely, I can try and hurt him..again.

When I leave the next morning, I have no idea if Ghirahim is following me or not, which only creeps me out. I'm almost afraid to look around or behind me, in fear that he'll be right there, smirking and eying me with lust.

I feel horrible regret hit me when I land near the Sealed Grounds. Zelda has given me mixed signals but I'm certain she likes me. I like her too, but things have become complicated now and I don't know what to do about the confusion buzzing in my mind. As I make my way past the Sealed Grounds, to the area near the forest, I can't help but feel this weird pang hit my gut. I realize I'm part of some strange triangle, between Zelda and Ghirahim. And I'm at the top. Or is Zelda at the top? There's no doubt in my mind that Ghirahim would take Zelda for himself if he could, so I go with the idea that Zelda stands at the top of the triangle. And no doubt, what Ghirahim is doing to me is just a way to get to Zelda.

I shake my head as I come upon the village Zelda and her father have built, along with many people from Skyloft. From what I've heard recently, Gaepora plans to build a town like Skyloft, except bigger. After the Skyloftians heard of the land below, many of them traveled there and many still remain here to help build the town.

My arrival is noticed quickly, by Zelda herself. She is playing her harp near a house when she sees me. Her eyes light up and she runs to me.

I hug her and smile, though something in my stomach is making me feel queasy. I realize quickly what it is as I embrace her tighter and almost cry. The fact is, I'm ashamed, because I'm holding the one girl I ever truly cared about and I've also been with another man. No, a monster.

"I thought you'd never come back, Link," Zelda says finally, pulling away.

I smile tiredly. "I had a lot to think about. I see this place is really booming." I gesture toward the houses and men at work building more houses and weapons.

"Yes," she smiles. "Father is very pleased. Soon everyone in Skyloft will be able to live here. Think about it, Link. No more rationing food. No more of the same old sights over and over again. You and I both know how it is down here. It's almost..magical."

I attempt a smile, but sort of fail. I can't deny I love Skyloft, no matter how many times I've seen it. It's my home and always will be. And deep inside, I know Zelda knows I won't always stay on the land with her.

"Come, Link," she says, tugging on my arm. "It's almost supper. You must be hungry."

I walk with her to the house she was sitting outside of just moments earlier, but as I do I feel the hairs on the back of my neck prick up. I frown and look behind me, toward the line of trees. I can sense him. He's here.

After supper Zelda and I take a walk around the area. She tells me everything that's happened and the plans for what her father is building. It's as we're walking beside a small stream that she catches my hand in hers and grasps it firmly in her own. I look over at her and blush, then smile warmly at her. But when I look away I frown. I'm a filthy person and there's no way I should let her touch my hand. If only I didn't like it, then it would be easier to push away. And if the hairs on the back of my neck would just go down, then this would all be so much easier.

"Everything alright, Link?" she asks.

I look over at her to see her face is concerned. "Yes," I reply. "I'm just..very tired."

"Perhaps you should turn in for the night."

It's not a bad suggestion, and if I didn't feel his eyes on me then it would be hard to let her go, but it's easy to do now. She lets go of my hand and I follow her back to the village. I sigh in relief when she walks me to my own door. The first thing Gaepora did when he came down here was have a house built for me. I had declined but he had insisted at the time, so that the hero would have a home on the land. Too bad the only place that felt like home was back at the Academy.

"Goodnight, Link," Zelda says.

"Goodnight." I smile and she kisses me on the cheek. Then she bounds away, smiling back at me.

I can't help but smile, and feel warm inside. Then I swallow hard, because what I'm feeling now, it's all just a dream I can't have. It makes me angry, so I growl and open my door. Then I close it and lock it behind me, hoping to keep Ghirahim out. But then I stop and go back to the door to unlock it. Because I know he'll just get in anyway. And if he finds out I locked the door, it'll only make things worse. As much as I hate him right now, I don't want him to hurt Zelda. And anything that could make that happen, I have to be cautious about. I would like to try and kill him again, but not here. It's bad timing, what with Zelda being so close. There's no telling what he would do if I failed again.

I sigh and sit on the bed against the wall. I've only slept in it about eight times. And each time I remember tossing and turning because it was different sleeping down here than up there. I didn't feel elevated, didn't feel that floating sensation. In Skyloft, it feels like, even in my bed, I can feel the wide open space way below me. Down here, it's like I can only feel the ground and miles and miles of rock in the land.

I take the large pail sitting on the floor and fill it with water from the pump at the sink. It's connected to a well just outside the house and it's very convenient. I pump the water until it's half full. Then I light a fire in the fireplace and heat the pail over it. It takes a while to heat so I lie on the bed to rest a while, but end up dozing.

When I wake up the room is darker but dimly lit and the fire is almost out. I'm in a sweat and suddenly wonder if everything that has happened in the past month was all just one big dream. I never went to Skyloft, never left this house. Instead, I've been here the whole time. I wish that's what I could have thought, but it wasn't. Because as soon I hear that chuckle I know I'm in trouble.

"Good morning, sweetheart," comes his voice.

I shiver and make a face as I look over and see him in the candlelight. The way he talks sometimes, it gives me this weird feeling in my stomach, not a good feeling either.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up. You've been out for nearly five hours. It's been awfully boring watching you sleep."

"Only a creep watches someone sleep," I say.

Ghirahim makes his way across the room and to the dying fire. "You know, maybe you're right. But admit it, you love it."

"I love sleeping without being watched, yes."

"Well, at least the water is still warm. Don't you want to use it?"

I clench my jaw. "Not now."

"Tsk tsk. Such a waste. You know, droughts happen a lot in this region. You shouldn't take what you have for granted."

He stares at me until I look at him. I know I don't have much of a choice, because now that Zelda is so close, it would be easy to threaten me to do what he wants. So I sigh and stand to my feet. I pull off my shirt and grab a rag on one of the shelves. I dip it in the water and he's right. It is still warm. I wring it out and wash my neck. And it actually feels so good that I close my eyes and roll my neck as I wipe off the sweat and dirt from the day. And when I feel him watching me my eyes shoot open and I furrow my brows.

"You just going to watch me?" I ask.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I find it very..arousing."

Great. He was readying himself for my body, and his source? Me.

"Listen," I yawn, wiping over my chest now. "Just please leave Zelda out of this."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't want her to know what we're doing."

He suddenly smirks. "Why, Link, why ever would I do that?" He takes the rag out of my hand and dips it in the pail again. After he wrings it out he runs the rag down my back and I feel chills all over my body. He uses the palm of his hand underneath it to feel me. It's warm but it's also weird. Then, as I close my eyes, I feel him kiss my neck from behind. I jump because it's sudden and turn around and back away.

At this point he throws the rag across the room and chuckles deep. Then he makes his way to me and grabs me. And before I know it I'm on the bed underneath him and struggling against him, because he's being aggressive.

"Why don't you calm down?" he says, and shoves me onto my stomach. He sits on my back and pins my arms behind me, which makes it harder to struggle. "That's better."

My face is pressed against the bed now, which makes it harder to struggle because it makes it harder to breathe. So I end up giving up. I blink every time he pulls on my clothes to tug them off and when I'm naked he wastes no time in being rough with me. He makes sure to bruise me with his fingers and snakes his tongue up my back and to my neck, where he chuckles in my ear.

"This never gets old," he says.

"It should. Same boring body every time."

"Oh, you're far from boring, hero. Because every time it goes in," he pauses and penetrates me. I close my eyes tight, getting ready. "I imagine the look you'll one day have on your face when you do this with Zelda for the first time. She may have you in years to come, but every time you pound her you'll think of my face."

I purse my lips as he snickers above me. His words are almost enough to make me get the upper hand and fight him off me, but I've learned of what comes from that. Only more bruises and bleeding.

"I will let Zelda be," I whisper into the sheets.

"Oh no you won't," Ghirahim hisses. "I saw the way you looked at her today, the way she grabbed your hand. She's giving you the signals to move in."

"Why were you spying on me?" I pant as he thrusts into me, over and over.

"It's my job as your master to see what my slave is up to."

"Can't..you just..give us a few..minutes of solitude?" His thrusting is becoming harder and deeper.

Ghirahim suddenly moans and I can feel his testicles against mine. It arouses me and I bite my lip to rid of the feeling. He is deep inside me and for some reason my body likes it. He stays that way for several seconds and then continues his fast thrusting. He's doing it with such rhythm that I can't help but move into him with every thrust. It makes my body temperature rise, especially when he puts his hands on my hips to move me.

I stifle a moan, because I can't help that I'm enjoying it. My body craves this more now since I've gotten used to it and it doesn't help when he penetrates me so deeply. Since he's let go of my arms I've tangled my hands in the sheets. And in the position I'm in I do something daring. I actually respond to him, react in a way that shocks even me. With my body still on the bed, I move my knees just up under me to give him better access to me. I kick myself for doing it but Ghirahim only growls in satisfaction. He snakes one of his hands up my back and plants his fingers in my hair, where he tugs lightly at the tendrils.

"You sure are being submissive tonight, hero," he says. "I don't know whether to like it or not."

Without thinking I let out a moan, because he's just hit a sensitive spot in me. Then I realize at that point that I'm stroking myself.

"What a good slave," Ghirahim hisses, and goes at it harder, which makes me moan every time. "I love hearing all those noises. Let's see what happens when we speed this up." He takes my arousal from my hand and strokes me fast.

I end up squirming underneath him, but not in pain.. It feels good..and there's no room for rational thought at the moment. Everything feels good; his hand, his thrusting, his body against mine. His mouth is close to mine and he has his free hand on my head, keeping me close to his face while the other strokes me. Everything gets so hot and suddenly my body is clamming and asking for release. So I do, and I tremble and twitch and squirm underneath him until there's nothing else left. Then I collapse, because I suddenly feel exhausted. But Ghirahim is still thrusting into me and before I know it he gives it all to me.

I can feel the bruises now, as I lay there in my own sweat and bodily fluids. But right now the only thing I want to do is sleep. But I don't, at least not right away. Because within a few seconds Ghirahim throws me the rag from earlier to clean up with.

"Clean it up so you don't look so disgusting," he says.

So I do, I clean the bed and myself. Then, because I'm so tired, I fall into bed with just my trousers on and fall asleep. I never ask what Ghirahim is going to do because I know what he's going to do, which is leave. And he does, because right before I doze off I hear the door close.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

I wake up alone and for some reason that bothers me. Perhaps it's because I'm in another place instead of Skyloft. I groan and roll over onto my back and instantly feel the after effects from last night. But only from the waist down really. Ghirahim didn't really leave any bruises this time, which surprises me.

I don't notice until I look over at the window that it's raining. The water is seeping in from under the sill. I wonder how long I've been sleeping and decide to get up to eat. But I'm not hungry and my spirits are down. It's Ghirahim. What we're doing is getting to me, and it finally hit me last night. If we continue to do this, I won't ever build the courage to get closer to Zelda than just friends. That's why I either have to tell Ghirahim no more or stop him myself. And I've already tried that one once before.

A sigh escapes my lips. Now is not the time to feel sorry for myself. So I pull on my clothes and make my way outside into the rain. I meet with Gaepora, whom has halted all work for the day due to the weather. So I turn my attention to Zelda, whom I find in her and her father's house, the one atop the hill. I'm nearly drenched by the time I get there but Zelda is glad to see me either way.

"Since there's no work to be done outside," Zelda says to me. "I've been cutting up these vegetables for dinner tonight. Would you like to join us, Link?"

I manage a smile and nod at her. "Yes, thank-you. Need any help?"

"If you'd like to peel those potatoes I'd really appreciate it," she smiles at me.

So we work, side by side in the kitchen, cutting and peeling vegetables for the stew later. We cut up and talk about life back at Skyloft. About our childhood and friends we've gained.

"How's Groose?" I suddenly ask. "I haven't seen him around since I've been back."

"He's on an 'expedition', so he says. He should be back in a few days. He's invented many things that have helped us out a lot so far."

I smile at that as I cut a carrot. "Yes, we all underestimated him."

"And a lot of people underestimated _you_."

I stop and look at her. "I never was one for intimidation," I say.

"I know that. But if you want my honest opinion on it, Link, I think a lot of people were intimidated by you."

"Or vice versa."

"You are very brave, Link."

"I wasn't always, and I still am not."

"Why would you say that?"

She stops what she's doing and looks at me so I turn away, shame clouding my face.

"Link? Is everything alright?"

How am I supposed to answer her? _No, everything's not alright. I made a deal with a demon that nearly killed you, and I let him into my bed every night._ If I said that it would be the end. She would be mentally damaged, like me. So instead I give a faint smile and place my hand on hers. "Yes," I respond. "Everything is fine. I'm just a little worn is all."

She gives my hand a squeeze before going back to her work.

I know, deep inside, that she knows everything is _not_ fine. It's in the way she's keeping quiet now, as if there is a tension between us.

That night, after I leave Zelda's and Gaepora's house, clouds are clearing up. The soggy day only dampens my mood even more. And knowing that I won't be alone in my own house for long deepens my sorrow, though being in company is better than being alone.

When I arrive at my house it's dark. Too dark. I feel a chill the instant I shut the door behind me. And then I hear a chuckle, followed by a flame. Ghirahim builds a fire on the hearth and I begin to light candles around the room. His presence no longer surprises me, only irritates me.

"I want this to be over quick," I say, my voice hollow.

Ghirahim makes a disgruntled noise. "I don't care for quickies," he says. "Just calm down for a minute and get Zelda off your mind first."

I purse my lips and sit on the edge of my bed. As I pull my boots off I notice Ghirahim is holding something as he sits by the fire. It's a sausage link on the end of a stick and he has it out over the fire.

"Hey," I start. "That's mine."

Ghirahim looks at me and shrugs. "Yes, so? You took a long time and I'm hungry."

"Oh, so it's not enough that you take my body. You have to take my food too?"

He rolls his eyes. "It's not like I have the best resources out here. Nothing good grows around here."

"Why don't you try leaving the area? You may find something better elsewhere."

He considers a moment before smiling crookedly at me. "Not likely." He runs his tongue over his lips as he looks at me.

I turn away. Sometimes he makes me nervous, the way he does stuff like that. I had been truthful when I told Zelda a lot of people intimidate me too. Ghirahim had been one of them, and he still does.

"Why don't you have one?" Ghirahim says, making me look at him. He holds the stick out with the sausage at the end.

"I already ate."

"Of course." He pulls the stick back toward him and takes a bite out of the sausage. "Dinner with the misses tonight?"

"We're just friends," I say.

"I'm sure. You keep telling yourself that."

"I can't be with Zelda as long as you're stalking me."

"Oh no, no we couldn't have that. Poor little Zelda. To think she's kidding herself over the way she hopes endlessly at becoming your wife."

"You don't know that."

"Please, Link, it's blatantly obvious. And I can understand why, too." He eyes me from head to toe.

"All you see is an outer shell. I would never give you the luxury of knowing who I am inside."

"Ooh, so tough," he mocks. He takes one last bite before getting up from the chair and making his way to me. "But I'm pretty sure I already know you, from the _inside_ that is," he chuckles.

"Not my heart. Not my soul."

"You're probably right. Because I wouldn't get to know that puny little heart of yours. I'd devour it instead."

I clench my jaw and grip the edge of the bed. A chill goes up my spine at hearing him say that. "Let's just get this over with," I mumble.

Ghirahim crosses his arms against his chest and suddenly makes a face down at me. "No," he says. "Not yet. There's something I want to show you first."

I look up at him curiously and furrow my brows. "What?"

"Come with me." He beckons to me with his finger before turning on his heel.

Things are starting to get strange now but I stand to my feet and follow him to the door. He peers outside until the area is clear and I follow him past the house and into the woods. My conscience is telling me to stop, to not follow him, but something else – something curious deep within me – is telling me to keep going, to follow him.

"Where are we going?" I whisper.

"You'll see soon enough," he says.

Around ten minutes later, I hear the sound of water and then I see a waterfall and a pool below. The moon is bright so it shines on the surface. Ghirahim stops at the edge and puts his hands on his hips. I stand beside him, confused at why we've stopped here.

"This is it?" I ask. "This is what you wanted to show me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He looks over at me slowly, his hands still on his hips, and leans forward, as if to kiss me. But he doesn't. Instead, he sniffs me and turns his face up in disgust. "You reek," he says.

I'm so surprised that I raise my eyebrows and move away from him a bit. "I-I what?"

"You smell. You need to wash your clothes, yourself. Something."

I've never really been insulted before, but I am now. "I've only been wearing these clothes for four days," I say.

He makes a face at that. "More reason to take them off and throw them in the water. Now." He grabs my shirt but I pull away.

"Okay, fine," I say. I shake my head but I do as he suggests and take off my shirt. Then my boots and trousers.

As I'm standing there naked he says, "You too."

"You want me to bathe?"

"Yes." There's a smirk on his face, as if he knows something I don't.

I cock my head and walk backwards into the water, keeping my eyes on him. Is this all some kind of trick to drown me? I keep moving backwards, only because I don't want to move forward. He watches me the whole time, right up to when the water hits my testicles. I tense up because the water is cool and he smiles at that. When I get waist deep I look away from him and dunk myself under the water. Hopefully, when I come back up, he won't be watching me.

When I do come back up, I'm facing away from him and looking at the waterfall now. I hesitate before turning around and when I do a chill runs up my spine. Because he's got his shirt off and is shedding his own trousers. I sink farther into the water, unsure if this was really just a way to get me to go swimming with him. Then again, why would he care? I bite my lip when he makes his way into the water. His body is so slender and tall and white in the moonlight. He looks smooth and relaxed, unlike myself.

When he meets me in the water I tense up and wrap my arms around my body.

"What's wrong?" he asks. "Wasn't expecting this?"

"No. You said I stink."

He smiles crookedly at that. "Well that part _was_ true. I just thought I'd spice things up a bit while we're out here."

I let him grab me and pull me into a kiss. And for some reason, I relax into it, as if it doesn't bother me. When he places his hands near my face, right under my jaw, something stirs in my chest. It has to be the waterfall behind us. It's not that big but it's making me nervous. When he lets go of me I lick my lips and back away. I give him a sly look before diving under the water and away from him, toward the waterfall.

When I emerge I see him swim toward me. So I..panic. I swim away from him again, only for him to keep following me. And when he finally catches up to me he grabs my leg from under the water so I splash at his face.

"Oh, playful, are you?" he says.

I stare at him, wide eyed. So this is all just..horseplay? I'm growing confused but I can't help but smile at him. When he splashes me back I laugh out loud, and immediately put my hand over my mouth and turn away. How could I do that around him? I've _never _laughed around him. Not even smiled.

He comes up behind me and presses his mouth to my ear. "My, you have a pretty smile," he says. "And laugh."

I pull away from him and turn around, facing him now. "I think I'm clean now," I say, and swim for the bank, but Ghirahim catches my arm.

"It _is _okay to play around once in a while, you know."

There's a threat in his voice. He wants me to stay, and because I signed a contract, I do. I sigh and look at him, waiting for the rough handling to begin. But it doesn't. Instead he flicks water at me with his fingers and swims away.

So he wants me to play. Fine. As long as Zelda stays out of it. I make a face before swimming after him and splashing him good. It actually feels good to splash water in his stupid face. But then he comes back at me with his own splash. And within a few seconds he's dunking me under the water.

I knew it. He _had _planned on drowning me and I'm going to die.

But that isn't the case, because I'm back up at the surface gasping for air a few seconds later. I decide to get him back, so I dive for him and push him under the water. I let another laugh escape my throat. I don't mean to but I haven't played like this in the water since I was a kid. And right now Ghirahim isn't the horrible guy I've been sleeping with. Instead, he's my childhood playmate I miss.

Of course I speak to soon. Because when I let out more laughs, Ghirahim gets this sly look on his face and grabs my leg. He pulls me to him and I bump against his chest. I can't feel the bottom of the pool here but Ghirahim can so he holds me close to him and kisses me. He swims back until we're up against the wall of the rock where the waterfall is coming from.

And..at that point I can't stop kissing him. I don't really know what it is. Maybe it's the pain I'm feeling, from going through everything that happened recently, or maybe the loneliness that never seems to go away, not even with Zelda around. Whatever it is, it's the reason I can't stop kissing him. Because I need it, because I crave the affection. And he's giving it to me. Sloppily and rushed, but nonetheless.

His hair is wet and messy and I can't help but put my hands in it. I can feel him hard beneath me. It doesn't take long before he penetrates me and I rest my head on his shoulder. For some reason, it's not as bad in the water. But our angle is awkward so he flips me around so that my back is against the rock now.

The spray from the waterfall is hitting me, so I don't know if I'm sweating or not, but I'm definitely feeling hot. I try not to but I moan into his ear as he sucks at my neck. I think right now, I'm bruising his back more than he's bruising me. I really can't help it. I really want this, really, for the first time. Not with him, just _this_. When I close my eyes I almost forget that it's him, forget that I'm actually stroking myself.

"I really like that you're into this," he huffs into my ear.

I lean my head back against the rock in response, because I have nothing else to say. Instead more moans escape my mouth, because I like it when he licks up my chest. Because I like it when he holds me close with his hands, even if they are rough. And then I reach my peak and moan so loudly as I spill into the water that I'm clinging onto him and burying my face in the crook of his neck. He must have soon after, because as I'm panting onto his skin he pulls out of me and hesitates near my face.

"Boy," he starts. "You never disappoint."

With my eyes still closed I kiss him gently on his neck, then inwardly kick myself for doing it. But he responds to me..surprisingly, by taking my face in his hands and kissing me deeply for a few seconds before pulling away.

"A-are you coming back to my place?" I ask. I have no idea why I ask it and immediately regret the question, because as I open my eyes, I realize exactly who I'm talking to.

He shoves me away at that point and swims back toward the bank.

I run a hand through my hair, confused. _Why_ had I just asked him that? Angry at myself and confused at why he's leaving in a hurry, I swim after him. When I get out of the water he's busy putting his trousers on. I grab my clothes, upset for some reason.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask.

He sighs. "I'm a very busy man. As much as I would like to play around with you in a pond, I can't. I have other business to attend to."

"Like what?"

He only gets out, "I'll see you soon." He glares at me before pulling on his shirt and cape before leaving.

I watch him go and suddenly feel very alone. With my clothes bundled in my arms, I sit down on a rock and think for a moment. Ghirahim had never kissed me before after we were done. But he had this time. And after had I asked him if he was coming back to my house he pushed me away. It's all very confusing, and I hate that my chest is aching.

It must be that dinner I ate at Zelda's. Yeah, that's it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Ghirahim doesn't come the next night, nor the next after that. In fact, he doesn't come for the rest of the week. And by the end of it I'm depressed. Not because of him but because I'm tired of being here on the land. Besides, his absence irks me. I really need to get away from Zelda, for fear that he may sneak up one night and tell her everything.

Of course I'm probably just being paranoid. Still, I make plans to set out for Skyloft anyway. Zelda was crushed when I told her the news. So, as I make my way to her now to say my goodbyes, I can't help but feel that deep pang of regret deep in my gut. That pang that keeps telling me I'm a fool and a tease for doing this to her again. Zelda and I have talked a lot this week, her more than myself. But we've walked hand in hand through the forest and we both took turns playing her harp. I spent time with her father and I know he expects me to make a move on her any day now. He's basically given me permission to do so. If only one thing wasn't constantly on my heels, giving me chills and making me nervous. If only this odd feeling would go away..

"Link," Zelda says.

I snap out of my thoughts, unaware that Zelda is out in front of her house, planting seeds in the garden. I run a hand through my hair and smile at her. "Hello, Zelda," I say.

"I suppose you're leaving now." Her face is sad as she looks up at me. She stands up to meet me at eye level.

"Yes," I say softly. "I'm sorry. I just..have a lot on my mind."

"Link, I know the pain you're suffering from. I can help you, if you just talk to me about it."

_No, Zelda_, I think._ You don't even know the half of it._ I smile and hold her shoulders in my hands. "Thank-you. I know you'll always be there for me. I _will _be back. I just have to take care of some things."

For a few seconds she stares at me. Then, she does something I hadn't expected. She leans in and kisses me, right on the mouth, where her lips linger only a few seconds. She immediately pulls away and her hands fly to her mouth. "I'm sorry," she says.

My head is suddenly dizzy, because her lips were so soft and gentle. Because _she _had pulled away. I manage a smile and touch her cheek with my fingers. "You don't need to apologize," I whisper.

I lean into her this time, but before my lips even touch hers the hairs on the back of my neck stick up and I know he's here. So I hesitate and pull away, teasing her once again. She looks up at me, confused and I look down.

"I'm sorry," I say. "There is something that's been bothering me. And until it's cleared up I can't do this. Please forgive me, Zelda."

Zelda sighs softly and looks away. "Old ghosts, I presume?"

"Something like that."

"I understand." She looks at me straight and poised now. "Go, Link. I'll see you soon?"

"Yes." I take her hand in mine and give it a squeeze before turning to go.

I don't look back. I don't even speak or smile or even flinch until I'm back in Skyloft, where I know he's waiting for me.

"'There's something that's been bothering me so until I clear it up I can't be with you'," Ghirahim mocks me.

I'm leaning against a tree back at Skyloft and he's sitting on a tombstone. There was still much daylight when I had gotten back, and I found him waiting for me in my room. So I took a walk when, mainly because the last place I wanted to be was in my room alone with him. But he followed me anyway to the graveyard, where I knew no one else would go. It's evening now and I know as soon as the sun goes down he won't be as talkative as he is now.

"Well," he sighs when I don't answer. "At least you don't smell anymore."

"That's the important thing," I say softly. I'm barely paying any attention to him. Instead I'm looking out over the sky, at the last rays of the sun, counting down my time until he claims my body for his own.

"You've been in a crabby mood ever since you left. What's your problem?"

I purse my lips at that and turn to look over at him. "As if you don't know," I hiss.

"Frankly, I don't. Mind sharing?"

I bite my lip a moment, trying to understand the feeling in my chest. "What happened at the pond," I start.

"What are you talking about?" he interrupts. "Nothing happened at the pond. Except for _swimming lessons_, that is."

"Right." I fold my arms against my chest and look down. The sun's rays are fading fast and the stars are already appearing.

Ghirahim narrows his eyes and leans towards me, still sitting on the tombstone. "What is it with you?" he sneers.

"Nothing," I reply. "Look, let's just go back to the Academy and get this over with." But as soon as I leave the tree he's beside me, blocking my way.

"No," he growls. "You're going to tell me what's eating at that pathetic brain of yours."

"I can't."

"And why not?"

"Because I don't know if you'll understand."

He stands up straight and looks down on me. "Try me."

I dare to look up at him and stare him in the eyes. "What makes you think I'd confide in you?"

"Because you've already started."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding at that. "I can't explain. Only that..at the pond..I." I bite my lip and struggle to get out the rest. "It was different, from all the other times."

I have a feeling he doesn't like what he's hearing, because he looks away briefly before turning back to me with angry eyes. He takes my shirt in his hands and slams me against the tree, hard.

"You really are pathetic," he says, his mouth close to my cheek. "What, you think it's always going to be just fun and games? Don't forget that I _own _you, hero. Nothing more, nothing less." He hisses in my ear and pulls me forward.

What he does next, I have no control over. Instead of going back to the Academy, where it's safer to be, he slams me face first against a dirt wall. No one can see us here at this angle but if someone were to come down the steps to the graveyard they'd see us for sure. But no one comes to the graveyard and hardly anyone is out at night. Now that the sun is down and the stars are out bright, no one will come out here.

And I'm thankful for that, even as he forcefully pulls my trousers down to my ankles. He's rough with me, unlike last time, and he pounds into me hard from behind. So much that I'm not moaning but grunting and wincing in pain. What's worse, he's slamming my face into the dirt every time he thrusts into me and he has one of my arms pinned behind my back. My other arm is free so I place it under my face to protect myself from the wall. But it doesn't matter. I'm still hurting, inside and outside.

The last time this happened I had felt so filled, like the loneliness was gone. Now, even as he's with me, all I can feel is loneliness. I want some kind of comfort. It doesn't matter what, so I move my free hand to grab his hand in mine, which only earns me a shove into the wall and a tug on my hair. I tried.

I just can't help but think that if I can't have Zelda and have to live with Ghirahim doing this to me the rest of my life, then I'd like some affection back at least. Like how he had held me under the waterfall. Like how he had kissed me after we were done. So gentle, that kiss..

I don't realize until I smile that I'm laying my head back on his shoulder. He growls at me and slams me back into the wall again but now I don't care. Now I just want some closeness. It doesn't matter if it's him, I just want it. So I move into his rough thrusting and just savor the feeling of being close. The closest two people can physically be.

"Let's..go back..to my room," I pant.

He grabs my hair in response and I wince. "You're liking this more than you should, kid," he sneers into my ear.

I huff and puff fast and now I don't mind my face scraping against the dirt wall. Then I do something daring. I grab his hand and place it on my arousal. I want it, I want it badly, for him to release me. And surprisingly, he does. He moves his hand as fast as he thrusts into me and I release onto the wall with a drawn out moan. It's so good that I scrape my nails into the dirt, feeling it clot and sting underneath.

Then he pulls out of me and my legs give way. I fall down to the ground and pant against the wall. I can hear him pulling his trousers up but I feel too weak to do anything.

"Are you just going to lay there like a pathetic worm all night?" he says.

I swallow hard and sit on my knees. With shaky legs I stand to my feet and pull up my trousers. I bite my lip when I begin to walk. I can feel his semen running out of me and my heart falls. He uses me like this every time and I fall into it every time.

"See you soon," I whisper, as I make my way up the stairs.

"Oh, we're not done."

I stop and turn around. "What?"

He gives a crooked smile. "Like you said, we should go back to the Academy. Round two. We need to make up for every night I didn't come this past week, don't you agree?"

I swallow hard. Five days. Until tonight, I hadn't seen him in five days after the pond. I'm not sure if I can go four more rounds but if it means I get to feel that closeness, I won't complain. "Alright," I say.

"What, no fight? You're actually agreeing?"

"I don't have a choice. Might as well get it over with."

He doesn't answer after that so I turn on my heel to go. He stalks his way back to the Academy, so no one sees us walking together. After a brief conversation with Pip, I make it to my room and let Ghirahim in through the window.

"Such a good slave, letting his master in," he says.

"Yeah," I start and bite my lip. "A master should..reward his slave for doing good deeds."

He smiles crookedly at that. "My, you're learning fast, aren't you? Alright, puppet, what would you like me to do to you?"

I hesitate and feel a flutter in my chest. My whole body is burning up and I feel almost electrified. "I-I want you to kiss me," I say.

He raises a brow. "That's all?"

"Yes."

"So needy tonight," he chuckles. But he kisses me forcefully, like I asked. I had hoped for the same kiss he had given me at the pond, when he had taken my face in his hands and kissed me so deeply it made my insides feel gooey. But he doesn't and I don't mind, because at least he's close to me and I can feel _something_. It's myself who kisses him back deeply, so much that I'm practically pulling him down on top of me on the bed.

"What is it with you?" he hisses.

"Nothing. I'm just.._needy_, like you said. I want it."

"Good, because we haven't even gotten started yet."  
As soon as he's done talking I grab the back of his head and press him to my lips again. I kiss him so hard and so deep that I arouse myself within seconds. And within a few minutes I'm rubbing against him and squirming underneath his body. My body feel so hot and his mouth feels so good. It doesn't take long to get our clothes off and before I know it he's forcing me down on his arousal. I lick and suck on him like I've been missing this..which only disturbs me. My behavior is out of control but I have no room to hate what I'm doing right now. My body is craving this and I want to give in. So I do. I go down faster and deeper on him, until he's releasing and cursing.

"What the hell possessed you while you were down there? Zelda teach you some new techniques?" he pants.

I wince at that because I don't like hearing him talk about Zelda, especially in that way. "No," I say. "I told you I'm needy tonight."

"Oh right," he grins. He flips me over onto my back and smiles cruelly before going down on me this time.

And I want it so bad that I thrust into his mouth. My fingers find their way to his hair and since he doesn't object to that I savor it and feel him with urgency. Because I like the closeness, because I'm feeling hair and skin. My eyes roll back in my head and what he's doing to me feels so good that I smile and let out a breathy moan. The air is so hot around me I can hardly stand it. And when his hair tickles my thighs I feel flutters deep in my chest. So deep that I want to scratch it but can't. I almost want to cry at the feeling, because his hair is so soft and the whole situation is so real and alive. It doesn't matter if he's between my legs, the fact that I can feel him at all is more than enough.

So I release myself with a moan minutes later and it feels so good I'm arching my back off the bed. And when I'm spent I can hear my heart beating in my ears and thudding in my chest. The flutters in my chest seem to have moved down to my abdomen, but when Ghirahim hovers over me and kisses me on the lips it moves to my stomach.

"Round three?" I ask, breaking our kiss.

"What exactly do you think I'm made of, hero?"

"I was hoping you could tell me."

He pulls away from me and sits against the wall. With a yawn he says, "A little demon, but mostly human, just like you. Whom needs time to recuperate."

It's his last sentence that makes me narrow my eyes. This is a routine between us but he's talking more casually to me than he did at the beginning when we started this. I've never seen him tired like this before, with me being the one who wants more, which makes me wonder: exactly how old is he?

"Where were you born?" I suddenly ask. I don't know why I asked it but I'm curious.

He looks at me and his jaw twitches. "Getting personal, hero? I'm not exchanging a heart to heart with you so save it."

"I was just..trying to pass the time until you.." I look down at his flaccid manhood.

He rolls his eyes at me.

"Alright," I say. "How old are you at least?" He looks fairly young but still older than myself.

He chuckles and raises one of his legs up. "How old do you think I look?"

"Well," I start. "A little older than me..but not by much?"

He smiles devilishly.

"Maybe not?" I say.

"You're seventeen, hero, aren't you?"

I'm taken aback by that. "How did you know?"

He chuckles and gives a sly smile. "I know everything about you."

That sends a chill down my spine. Ghirahim knows everything about me? How? Maybe he knows my age and my weakness, but he doesn't know the _real _me. No, not by a long shot. "Fine," I say. "You're twenty-four."

He chuckles and cocks his head. "I'll take that as a compliment, kid. Try ten years your senior."

I widen my eyes but I'm really not that surprised.

"It's quite alright, you know, if you like older men. I don't mind young fish myself. Especially virgins." He licks his lips at that and it makes me feel sick.

I look away and think about him saying how he knew everything about me. So I dare to ask him, "What exactly do you think you know about me?"

"Hm. Well, you're seventeen for onc. _Heroic_, of course." He rolls his eyes at that. "Good looking, full of self loathing, a bit shy, you hate mushrooms, and you sigh when you don't know what to do."

My eyes are wide open staring at him. "I-is that all?" I ask.

"Besides me knowing you inside out, yes."

My cheeks go red at that.

He moves next to me and pins me down on the bed, then hovers over me and comes close to my face with his mouth. "Tell me, do you imagine me or Zelda more in your bed at night, sleeping next to you? Perhaps both? Now wouldn't that be fun?"

I make a face at that. "No, I don't, and no it wouldn't be fun."

He chuckles at that before we go at it again, at which now I don't very much feel like doing it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

When I wake up it's raining. I can hear the water hitting against the window pane and the thunder rumbling low outside. I sigh because the rain is like a comfort, especially when I'm sleeping, but when I turn over my body stops before I can roll onto my stomach. I suddenly tense up and hold my breath.

Ghirahim is beside me.

Chills go up my skin and keep going until they reach the crown of my head. I don't know why he's still here. More importantly, I don't know why he's sleeping in my bed, with the covers half way up to his waist. He's still naked underneath, I can see. I look down and notice I am too. I turn to lay on my back again and slowly inch away from him, but when I shift he grunts and throws his arm up over his head.

I narrow my eyes at his sleeping angle. His legs are all sprawled out under the sheets and his mouth is hanging half open as his head lays carelessly on the pillow. His white hair is disheveled but his face looks alarmingly relaxed. Not that he isn't normally relaxed, but there's no expression at all, which is nice for a change. I don't know why I'm staring at him; maybe it's because he looks so real right now. Until now, I've never seen him sleep so I've had to assume he wasn't really human. But now, now I know. He's just like me.

And I purse my lips at that, because I hate that I've just admitted he's like me, that we're both human. But I know it's true, because I can feel the heat radiating from his body beside me and I can see the even rise and fall of his chest as he breathes. And it's so soft, his breathing. In and out, as if he's someone else. I don't know why, but that feeling flutters in my stomach again like it did last night and I suddenly want to touch him. So I bite my lip, reach out my hand, and run a finger down his face. His skin is soft and looks fragile to touch, but his cheek is warm and so human.

I realize now that this is what I need. Just touching. The flutters in my stomach, they just want affection. It doesn't matter by who, as long as I get it. So I give in to the flutters, the feeling of longing in my chest, and move in close to him. I lay my head down on his chest and under his arm where he's thrown it back. And it feels good, to just lay there on another human being. What's even better is I can hear his heart beating beneath his ribs. It's so even and just..there. It's such a relief to finally be close without sex that I place my hand on his ribcage below my face and close my eyes. He actually smells really good, too, like earth and something else I can't make out. Maybe incense. I stay this way for a while and eventually doze off again, but only for a few moments. Because before long Ghirahim wakes up to me still laying on him and shoves me off.

When he pushes me it wakes me up but instead of reacting to the drop in my chest I act surprised, as if I didn't know he was still here. "Ghirahim," I say. "What are you still doing here?"

He cocks an eyebrow at me and pops his neck. "I guess I was more tired than I thought. I wasn't intending on staying the night here." When he gets up I'm slightly disappointed. I really wanted the company. Not him, just his presence.

I sit up and rest my arms on my knees as I watch him pull his clothes on. I can't help it when my face falls. I really don't know why I don't want him to go, other than just wanting to be in company, even if it's bad.

"Why the long face?" he suddenly asks. "You already missing me?" He chuckles and shakes his head as he buckles his dark trousers.  
A strange thought occurs to me at that moment and I narrow my eyes as a question arises. "Where exactly do you go after you're done here?" I ask.  
"Wouldn't you like to know, hero? Or maybe not?"  
"I would."  
"Why, planning on following me? Killing me in my sleep perhaps?"  
"If I wanted to kill you in your sleep, I would have done it already." For whatever reason, I give him a half smile but when he lets his gaze linger too long on my face it fades and I look away.  
"I have to go. I'll see you-"  
"Soon," I say with him.  
He gives me one more long, hard look before he makes his way toward the window. It's the only way he'll get out without being spotted at this hour. He stops beside me at the bed first and lifts my chin with his finger. "Don't forget your place, slave," he says. "Don't forget you belong to _me_." With a jerk of his hand he pushes my jaw away and makes his way to the window.  
And just like that, he's gone again. I rub at my jaw but manage a smile. The sting of his fingerprints are still on my face. Then I close my eyes, because I don't know why I should be happy about that. And then it disturbs me that I would even think of him and smile.

When the rain eases up I venture outside for the day. Along my way to the Bazaar I run into Pipit.  
"Link," he starts, stopping in front of me. "How are things down below?"  
"Good," I respond quickly.  
"And how's Miss Zelda doing?"  
I scratch my head and hesitate before saying, "She's well. Her and her father both."  
"Surprised to see you back so soon."  
I bit my lip. "It's hard leaving where you were born and raised."  
"I know the feeling. I've been down there once but..I don't know if I could live down there. Skyloft is where I belong, with Karane."  
I smile at that. I remember helping hook the two of them up a while back. "How is Karane?" I ask. "I haven't seen her around lately."  
"She's usually out training with Eagus. And I still patrol at nights. Still haven't found that creeper who keeps stalking around the Academy at night." He puts a hand on his chin and looks away, as if thinking.  
I figure I should go at that, seeing as I don't want to discuss whoever he's seen. "I'll see you later, Pipit," I say. "Good luck with catching the guy."  
Pipit nods at me before we part ways and I head to the Bazaar. I don't want to buy anything, but I wouldn't mind getting something to eat and drink at Piper's Cafe. On my way up to the Bazaar I notice the clouds are still dark, threatening to rain again. By the time I get to the Bazaar, it begins to sprinkle so I head inside and take a seat at an empty table in the cafe. I notice Croo is sitting at his usual table but he looks like he's dozing. Otherwise the Bazaar is pretty empty and so is the cafe.  
"Hello, Link," comes a voice from the side.  
I look up and notice Piper smiling down at me.

"What would you like, hon?" she asks.

I think a moment before saying, "Your best soup and a cup of pear juice, please."

She nods her head, about to walk away, when a second voice intervenes.

"Make that two soups and a cup of ale for me."

My chest tightens up at that voice and I swear my heart drops into my stomach. I don't look at him, but I can see the surprise of his presence reflected in Piper's face. She just nods, though, before leaving for the kitchen.

I don't dare look at him but he doesn't give me a choice when he sits down in front of me. I slowly look up and see Ghirahim's brown eyes staring at me lazily, with a half smile on his face. He's wearing his usual dark garb and black cloak. His hair is disheveled and he looks wet from being outside.

"I hope you don't mind if I join you," he suddenly says. "I'm a bit short on food back home."

I grit my teeth and look around. No one is paying us any attention, especially Piper. She's too busy cooking. Even Croo hasn't noticed us. I finally relax after seeing this and lean back in my chair. "I suppose not, since you've already invited yourself to sit down."

"And for a moment there I thought you were just happy to see me."

"Look, this is just a bit awkward. We've never met in public like this."

"So what?"

"So..so people could talk. You're a bit of a stranger here you know."

Ghirahim just shrugs. "So let them talk."

Piper comes with my pear juice and Ghirahim's ale right then. When she's gone he lifts his cup.

"Oh," he starts. "I forgot. Hero boys don't drink."

I make a face at him. "I drink," I say in defense. "Just not all the time."

"Right." He takes a sip of his ale then leans back in his chair.

By now I've tensed back up and have my elbows on the table, picking at the wood. He's making me nervous by being here. I don't know why he's trying to drink with me. More disturbing, that means he's been following me.

"What's wrong, baby boy? Don't feel like playing with the adults?"

I'm angry at that so I motion for Piper to come over and ask for an ale. I don't know if I do it for myself or to appease him. Either way, I feel confused inside.

Piper brings our soups along with my ale. I eat in silence for a while, ignoring Ghirahim as much as I can. But I don't ignore him for long, because he starts talking about our usual thing.

"So about tonight," he starts. "I think we should go somewhere special."

I raise a brow and freeze, my spoon in midair. "Like where?" I say.

"I figured we could fly your bird someplace."

"My Loftwing wouldn't let you on him and neither will I."

"Alright, then we'll take my bird."

I give him a face. "You have a bird?"

He smiles. "Of course."

I already had my suspicions about where he lived but now things seem a bit clearer. "You're living up here, aren't you?"

He puts his hands up, as if defeated. "You got me there, secret's out."

I laugh because I was right. "That's it, then. You live here, on Skyloft."

"Whoa, whoa, now. I never said I live on Skyloft."

"Then..where?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes."

His smile fades slowly before he takes a rather large gulp of his ale. "Drink up, buddy. You're going to need it."

"Why?"

"The things I'm going to do to you tonight may be..less enjoyable while you're sober."

I look down at that and suddenly I'm not hungry anymore. I could always leave but he would find me and he would use anything I loved against me to bend me to his will. No, running away isn't an option, but he sure is creeping me out right now. But I do as he suggests and order another ale. I drink it fast and before long my head is feeling light.

When I put my hand up against another drink Ghirahim gets me another one anyway. I think Piper is a bit confused at the both of us, but mainly me. I've never gotten drunk like this out in public. Actually, I've never really gotten drunk like this at all before. So when my head becomes to foggy and I have to blink several times to see Ghirahim straight, I try to stand up and stumble against the door.

Ghirahim sure is strong, too, there to catch me and put an arm around me so I don't fall. That's when I realize I feel good so I look over at Ghirahim and laugh. He pushes my face away but helps me outside. It's still raining but it feels good so I sort of stumble in it.

"Maybe getting you drunk wasn't such a good idea," Ghirahim says. "Come here."

I laugh at him as he grabs my arm. Everything's so dark now and a little cool. It's getting hard to think straight and walk but Ghirahim just pulls me forward until we reach one of the docks to fly off on our Loftwing's. Ghirahim whistles really loud and I make a noise like it hurts my ears. He narrows his eyes at me and then pulls me forward.

When I look up I suddenly see a big black bird, bigger than my own Loftwing. "No, no, no," I say. "What is that? I am not gettin' on that thing."

"It's just like yours, sweetie pie."

I smile at him and blush for calling me that.

"Come on."

"No! Wait! I-I-I can't! I might chafe!"

He stops and I know I got him with that. But he just looks at me weird instead, then shakes his head and grabs me.

"Stop!" I scream, but he's thrown me over his shoulder and drops below to his huge, black bird. Then we're flying and I'm holding on for dear life. My eyes are closed and my fingers are clenched tight around his birds feathers. It's still raining and it stings. I don't know where he's taking me. Then I feel him come closer behind me, like he's laying over me, and he takes my hands in his and tries to calm me down with soft words.

It's as we're flying through the air that I start feeling hot, when he grabs my hands. It also starts raining harder and within a few seconds lightning shoots through the sky. It scares the bird we're flying on and I have to hold on tight so I don't fall off. But Ghirahim has a hold on me and yanks the bird to fly a different way. The rain is still pounding so hard and thunder is booming in my ears. I close my eyes because I don't know what else to do. After what seems like minutes upon minutes of flying and falling, we come to a stop.

The lightning is still flashing and the rain is still falling, but now we're on solid ground. Ghirahim pulls me off his bird and I stumble against him. I blink a few times and see a huge pumpkin in the distance, which can only mean we've landed at the Lumpy Pumpkin.

"Looks like we'll have to stay here for the night," Ghirahim mutters.

My head a bit more clear now, enough to sober up, but I still can't walk completely straight. I bump into Ghirahim a few times from the back but he doesn't seem to care. I get a little worried when we get inside, because I know the owner Pumm and his daughter Kina. Luckily, it's Kina who is up at the desk instead of her dad.

"Oh," Kina starts. "Link, is that you? Are you alright?"

"He's fine," Ghirahim intervenes. "I just saved him from a flight back into Skyloft. It's too dangerous to fly anywhere so I landed here."

"Oh wow, how terrifying! I heard the storm outside, you're lucky to be alive."

"Yeah," Ghirahim says, annoyed.  
"Alright, then will you be staying the night?"

I bite my lip and nod my head. "Yes," I say, before Ghirahim can speak. "Two beds."

"We do have one available on the top floor. Would that be alright?"

"Yes," Ghirahim says.

"Alright, I'll book you down. It's fifty rupees a night and it covers everything from food to fire to bathroom. You can pay half now."

Ghirahim doesn't look happy at that but he gives her twenty-five rupees anyway. When Kina gives him the key he snatches it away and leaves for the stairs. I nod at Kina before following after him. And once we get to the room he locks it behind us and builds a fire at the hearth.

There are two beds and a table in the middle of the room. My clothes are soaked but I still feel so light headed from drinking. I didn't drink a lot but Ghirahim knew how much I needed to get me to go with him. Luckily, it isn't taking long to wear off. I know I need to get out of my clothes so I try and take my shirt off but with little luck. With what alcohol still in my stream, I struggle with getting the wet, plastered shirt off. Ghirahim, who's shirt is already off, shakes his head and stands in front of me.

"Always need someone to do things for you," he says and pulls off my shirt. Next goes my trousers, which he slides off easily.

I lay on the bed after he does that, because I'm really tired. But as soon as I roll over I feel Ghirahim come up behind me.

"No, no," he coos in my ear. "You can't fall asleep yet. Maybe our little plan didn't work out so well but I still have you here alone and away from Skyloft." He licks my ear and I shiver.

"I-I don't want to," I say. But he pulls me over onto my back anyway and straddles me. "Stop," I continue. "Stop it, I don't want this! I don't want you on me, I don't want you abusing me!"

Ghirahim silences me with his hand over my mouth. "Shhh. This won't hurt, I promise," he says.

For the first time, I let tears stream down my face in front of him. I can't help it. I don't like what he's doing to me. My head isn't right and we're at an Inn. No one except Kina knows where we are, and even she doesn't know what's going on. And it's as I'm looking up at Ghirahim with my eyes crying that I see it. A hesitation, a halt on what's going on. For a moment, Ghirahim seems to connect with me and for a second I see something in his eyes. Something full of emotion and care. But it's gone as soon as he rips his eyes from me, along with his hand and himself.

He sits on the edge of the bed and sighs. "Why are you crying?" he asks.

I close my eyes before saying, "I'm tired of being used."

"If you haven't gotten used to it by now then I suggest you start. Because I'm not going anywhere. You got that?" He's leaning over on the bed now, near my face.

"Yes," I whisper. "But please, just please don't hurt me. Not right now. I can't take it."

"I don't know why I appease your silly requests," he snaps. "But since we're in an Inn, where others are liable to hear, I'll save the squealing torture for next time."

I let out a breath of relief at that.

"You're not drunk enough anyway," he adds.

I notice now, as my head rests on the pillow, that the fire is going strong. I'm also aware that I'm fully naked. So between the heat and my flesh, it doesn't take long for Ghirahim to roll over on top of me and kiss me full on the lips. It's strong and a bit hard, but I honestly don't know anything else.

"Aren't you getting tired of the same routine?" he asks. "Kissing, roving, penetrating, all on the bed?"

"No."

"Why do you think I wanted to take you someplace different?"

"We're someplace else right now."

"Very true, but what about the act?"

"Pin me up against a wall," I say.

So he does. He grabs my arm, pulls me up, and slams me into the wall beside the bed. I don't mind this position. It reminds me of the waterfall. He's rubbing against me but he isn't inside just yet, so I have time to enjoy what his hands are doing to me rather than his manhood. And it feels good, too, being touched. I enjoy every inch of his hands, every print of his fingertips. I want him to leave the bruises on my skin, to remind me later that this is all real, that someone has touched me. When his mouth reaches my neck I nearly lose it and moan right into the air.

"Ghirahim," I moan again.

All movement stops right then. Behind me, he's stopped rubbing me and puts his arm around my neck. "Why did you say that?" he snaps.

I nearly choke on my words because his arm is pressed tight against my throat. "Because that's..what I felt like saying." I cough loudly and he lets his arm loose.

"Are you saying that you prefer me over Zelda?"

Instead of answering that, I don't say anything at all. I wish I knew why but all I can think about is how I want his hands on me again.

"I'll take that as a yes," he hisses, and then begins our session up again. He penetrates me this time and slams his hand against the wall beside my head. He chews on my ear and I lean my head against the wall, because I need the support.

When my knees buckle beneath me he falls down with me and we continue on the floor. He rolls me over onto my back and penetrates me from above. I raise my arms and link them around his neck to pull him closer. He growls at the action but he doesn't resist. Instead he thrusts into me faster and in return I moan into his neck.

"Ghirahim," I whisper. "More, I want more."

He pushes me down onto the floor so that I can't touch him but I only groan in complaint.

"No," I say. "I want more. Please."

"I don't know what you want," he hisses.

"Touch me," I say. "Just..touch me."

And he does, all over my body. His hands rub over my ribs, my chest, my neck, my face. He dips his fingers into my mouth and I suck on them. I get so worked up that my moans come out in pants and I start sweating a lot. When feel the heat between us growing so hot that I can feel us both burning, I raise my neck and look right into his eyes. I smile up at him tiredly before kissing him deeply, delving my tongue into his mouth so deep that I can barely breathe.

He feels it, too, because he's grunting and panting hard and pulling my face towards his as he kisses me back. He wants it as much as I do, I can feel it. I can feel something so hot between us that I almost cry. And then it happens, his relief into me. His moaning is so deep, so long, that I hug him close to me to feel it myself. I'm so in tune with the way he's reacting that I hardly notice I've relieved myself a little as well.

Ghirahim is panting hard when he's spent, with his forehead laying on my shoulder and his body hunched over. My eyes roll back into my head when I feel him still thrusting into me, slowly. I scrape my fingernails down his back and hope he doesn't pull away.

He does, though, and I immediately feel alone. I get up, too, and clean myself up. I pick up my clothes and lay them over a chair next to the fire. Then I look at my bed. It's empty. I look at the other bed and notice Ghirahim is in it, his back to me. I bite my lip and consider joining him. But no, I don't, because having sex with him because of a contract is one thing, actually sleeping with him is another. It isn't in the contract. It doesn't need to happen.

So instead I go to the empty bed, lay down and pull the covers up to my face. I stare at Ghirahim's bare back for several minutes until I fall asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_I'm standing on an island in the sky. Small plants are growing out of the ground but there's nothing else around. The sky is gray and windy and I can see a cyclone in the distance. I'm cold so I wrap my arms around my body. I shiver and look down, then notice I'm naked. There are bruises on my body. I touch them and hiss because it stings. Then I hear laughter, far away in the sky. I hear it again and turn around. I see him now, his white hair covering half his face, his dark clothing making him appear desolate and grim. _

_I back up until I'm on the edge of the island. I look back for a split second but when I turn back to face him he's right in front of me._

_ "Don't worry," he whispers. "I won't hurt you, pet."_

_ I close my eyes and suddenly the wind stops. Everything is quiet now and I don't hear him laughing anymore so I open my eyes. I'm sitting on a bed unlike any I've seen before. It's big and covered with red blankets. The room is dimly lit and stone walls surround me everywhere. A door is in front of me. When I look at it the knob turns and it creaks open. Then he walks in, looking even more grim than before and sullen now. He's dripping wet, as if he's been out in the rain. He looks at me, but ignores me and pulls off his cloak._

_ "Ghirahim," I say to him. "What's wrong?"_

_"You wouldn't understand," he says deeply. "A petty human like you couldn't understand."_

_ "Just tell me what it is. I can try."_

_ He sighs heavily then looks at me. "Why do you want to know?"_

_ "Because..because I care about you."_

_ He laughs at that, then crawls on the bed towards me. "You're a pawn, hero, nothing more. To think that such a legendary creature such as yourself cares about me is absolutely..delicious." He licks my face at that and I welcome him into the bed with me. But just as he kisses me, just as he lays me down, our moment fades and I'm standing on the island again. The sky is still gray but it's calmer and quiet. _

_ Ghirahim is sitting on a rock, his head in his hands. I swallow hard and make my way to him. "Ghirahim?" I say._

_ When he looks up at me his face is sad. _

_ "What's wrong?"_

_ "I can't do this anymore, Link. It's over, the contract is up."_

_ "What? Why are you saying that?"_

_He doesn't reply. Instead he gets up, stands in front of me, and frames my face. He kisses me passionately for a few seconds, then pulls away. Then he backs away towards the edge._

_ "Ghirahim, don't," I say._

_ He puts a finger to his lips, steps on the edge, and falls back into the sky._

_ I gasp and run forward. "Ghirahim! Don't leave me," I whisper._

I wake up gasping and put my hand on my chest. My heart is pounding and my body is drenched in sweat. I don't know why I had a dream about Ghirahim, or why I didn't want him to leave me in my dream. Both are disturbing. I've never had a dream about him before so I don't understand why I did just now. As I look around I notice he isn't in the room so I get up and pull on my trousers. His cloak is still by the fire so I know he hasn't left.

I look at his bed, see the place in the blankets where he slept. I bite my lip and make my way to it. I touch the wrinkles in the blankets and smooth my hand over the hole where his body laid. I take the blankets in my hands and inhale them deeply. They smell like him, like Ghirahim. That smell of earth and incense. It's always so strong. Then a thought occurs to me and I smell my own skin. I smell like Ghirahim too. This fact, for some reason, makes me smile.

The door suddenly opens and I drop the blankets. I back away from the bed just as Ghirahim comes into the room holding a tray of food.

"Rise and shine, sweet cakes," he says, then he looks at me funny.

"What?" I say.

"What are you doing?"

"N-nothing."

"Of course. That explains your stuttering. Anyhow, I brought you some breakfast. You could use it."

I take the tray and place it on the table. "Thank-you," I say.

We both sit down at the table and begin to share our second meal together. It makes me feel..weird inside, but I admit I don't mind it. I can't think about Zelda anymore when I'm with him. It just makes things worse. It's better to just go along with what he wants and worry about everything later.

"Not bad for an Inn," he sighs. "At least it's not pumpkin."

I dip my spoon in my porridge but my mind is elsewhere. We eat in silence for a few seconds but when I look up to see Ghirahim staring at me while he eats my face flushes and I stop. "Could you stop staring? It's a bit creepy," I say.

He chuckles at that and places his cheek on his hand. "Aren't you cute?"

I sigh and hold back a smile. I can't help but notice how he's been using endearing words with me lately. It makes me feel different. It's also odd that he spent the whole night with me of his own free will and brought me breakfast. "Is the storm still bad?" I ask. There really shouldn't be any other reason for him to still be here. He should be gone now, but a part of me deep inside is glad he's still here.

"No, it's been dreadfully sunny all day."

"Oh. I was just wondering..what you were still doing here."

He blinks at me lazily. "Why, do you wish me to leave?"

"No," I say quickly, then look down at my bowl. "I mean, I just figured you'd stick with your routine."

"Well," he starts. "I had a reason for staying." He eyes me. "We can finish today what we started last night."

"I don't want to drink again."

"You don't have to. But you will come with me."

I nod my head and sigh. I know I will, because it's in the contract, because I have a different reason for going with him now.

I fly on my own Loftwing this time, because it's daylight now and other Skyloftians will be suspicious if they see me flying on a black bird with an unknown stranger. I follow Ghirahim to an island far out of view of Skyloft. It's surrounded by grass and rocks and bushes. It's bigger than the ground the Academy sits on but it's still not as big as Skyloft itself.

Once we land and leave our birds Ghirahim makes his way to one of the larger rocks. I don't ask him what he's doing, just watch as he moves the rock aside to reveal a hole in the ground. He turns around and looks at me.

"You want me to go down there?" I ask.

"Yes, hero, I do. Now come on." He pulls me toward the hole and pushes me toward the entrance.

I grunt as he forces me down but I see there's a ladder so I carefully climb down until my feet hit solid ground. I look around the room to see it's dimly lit with candles and two beds. One is the normal looking bed with blankets and the other looks to be made of metal. There are some chains hanging from the wall and ceiling and several ropes on one of the tables.

When the light from the hole above disappears, and I hear Ghirahim descending down the ladder, I gulp and move away. I don't know what he intends on doing with me here, with all these strange things he has.

"Like it?" he asks, coming around me to make his way around the room. "I made it especially for you. Well, for us, so we don't have to be heard or bothered by that annoying Pipit and that goofy guy beside your room. Best of all, no one will have to hear your moans." He stops and looks at me. "Or screams."

I set my jaw and hold my chin up high. "What are we supposed to do here?" I ask, my nerves on edge.

"Come, now, hero. Use your imagination." He raises his brows at me and I gulp again. He makes his way over to a chain hanging on the ceiling and pulls on the shackle at the end. "Now what could possibly fit in these?"

I hesitate and begin to back away towards the ladder. I knew Ghirahim was sick and twisted, but never once had all of this come to my mind.

"No, pet, don't you go anywhere just yet. I told you we'd still get to do what I was planning for us last night."

"I can't. Not this," I say. "I won't."

Ghirahim looks at me seriously as he makes his way to me. Before I can react he grabs my wrists and jerks me forward. He takes one of my wrists to put it in the shackle but I fight against him hard. "Stop wiggling, I promise you'll end up liking this!" he hisses.

But I don't care. This is too far and I don't like the way he's looking at me or handling me. It isn't the Ghirahim I saw in my dream, like the last time I saw him before he fell. But I know it's a lost cause, I know he will never be what I hope for. So at a last attempt to stop him I curl my free hand into a fist and punch him right on his right cheek. He stumbles back; I didn't realize my impact had been so strong, but he also wasn't expecting it. Either way, he stares me down hard, his face angry, and I know I'm about to get it back.

And I do. He deals a blow right back in my face. It's so hard that I stumble back and hit the wall, and I instantly know that I'll have a bruise later. I lick my lips and taste blood, but I don't let it get to me. I've felt worse before.

"You're only making this easier to do," Ghirahim says deeply. "If you think for one minute that you're leaving here empty handed then think again."

He's right in front of me now, staring me down, trying to make me cave.

"And if you think you'll be moaning my name like you did last night," he chuckles. "I guarantee you'll be screaming my name, for me to stop."

I look up at him and grit my teeth. "I beat you once before, I can beat you again."

He chuckles at that and cocks his head. "You're right, but I have one advantage over you. I own you, and the moment you slip up I won't hesitate to cut off that pretty little blonde's head." He suddenly narrows his eyes at me. "You think you really are her hero, don't you? Signing that contract to keep her safe. Don't you realize that by signing that contract, I not only own you, but your soul?"

I furrow my brows. "What?" I say softly.

"You made a deal with a demon, silly boy. It was in fine print, you just didn't bother to read it before singing that beautiful name of yours. I own your soul and even if you die trying to kill me, even if you succeed in killing me and die one day, I will drag your soul to the underworld with me."

I swallow hard. He has to be bluffing. He's simply trying to scare me. But I won't fall for his tricks. I refuse.

"And what's so sad is how you thought you could persuade me, to make me _soft _like you." He suddenly laughs out loud and I cringe at his voice. "It's absolutely delicious to watch, the way you stumble over yourself."

For some reason, tears are threatening my eyes. Perhaps the dream I had this morning was a warning to myself to stop any emotional efforts with Ghirahim. I had let him touching me and helping me through the storm and bringing me breakfast get to me. Most of all, I had let that first passionate kiss at the waterfall get to me. But not anymore. Things aren't going to change. He'll always be the same.

As I let my head fall down, now a bit forlorn, I suddenly feel his hand on my cheek. He lifts up my head to look at him, then kisses me full on the lips. I fight against him, pushing and beating him with my fists, but he has a tight hold on me and won't let me go. The sting on my cheek is still there and I can taste the blood in my mouth from my busted lip. So can he; he seems to be ravishing the taste as he sucks on my lip, which makes me feel sick. It's when I'm unable to beat him with my fists anymore that I realize he's holding me down with his mind; something he hasn't done for about a month. He threatened me with it that time in the cave but hasn't used it since. Now that he's using it on me now, the fear has come back, because I'm no longer in control.

"It's been a while," Ghirahim whispers into my ear. "Don't worry, it won't last long. I can only take so much before it drains my energy. But at least you'll be easier to deal with while I chain your wrists."

I grunt as he moves away from me and pulls me forward with his mind. I try to hold back but I can't as he pulls off my tunic and snaps the shackles around my wrists. Then he backs up and lets me go and I slump down, the chains supporting me now.

Ghirahim makes a noise in his throat and takes off his cloak. "This is beautiful," he says. "Absolutely beautiful." He pulls off his shirt and unbuckles his trousers. Then he takes me by my own belt and pulls me into a kiss.

"Please," I mumble against him. "Don't do this."

He smiles at me. "Fighting only encourages me. Haven't you learned anything?"

I tighten my lips and try not to fight now. It only makes things worse. Instead I just hang there and let him strip my body of the rest of my clothes. If I go along with it, then I'll make it easier on myself. Then another thought occurs to me. If I could endure all the pain and thirst and sleeplessness and loneliness that I did during my journey to help Zelda, to destroy Demise, then I could endure this. I let this thought motivate me and so tell myself I can get through this.

"I don't know about you, hero," Ghirahim starts, tugging on my manhood. "But I find this all so very..exciting."

"Then get it over with," I say.

"Trust me, you'll be begging for it by the end."

"I doubt it." I grind my teeth as he strokes me. There's nothing I can do but wiggle around, but I try not to because I know he likes that. He doesn't just stroke, though. He tugs on me and I purse my lips because it hurts a bit, but I don't want my pain to show. I won't cower down to him.

"What?" he says. "Where did all that fight in you go?" He grabs my hair and yanks my head back.

I don't mean to but I let out a yelp from the sudden surprise. I can't help it. And when I feel his lips and teeth on my neck I begin breathing hard. Not because I like it, but because he's being so rough with me as I'm helplessly chained to the ceiling. The chains are high up too, so that I can't let my arms down at all. I'm just hanging, letting him grope and rove my body. When I can't feel him or touch him of my own will, I don't feel like I'm giving, which means I'm only taking, which means he's taking my body by force. Then I realize that that's what he's been doing the whole time since I signed the contract, only I give it to him to use by force. He really does own my body.

He's kneading his palms into my shoulders and digging his fingers into my flesh. I wince when he bruises me but my manhood is growing erect. I hate that it's happening while he's being so aggressive but he's still touching me. And even if I don't like him right now, I can't help but still care, just a little. He pokes his tongue out and licks and nips at me until there's a trail of teeth marks going down my chest and stomach. Then he puts his mouth on that spot, that spot that can't help but react to. But this time is different. He doesn't do it like he usually does. Instead, he's pulling on me hard with his mouth and using his teeth. I wiggle around and the chains rattle.

Ghirahim chuckles and pulls away for a moment. "You like that, pet?" he asks.

I look down at him, panting from struggling. "No, I don't like being held back like this."

"But we're just getting started." He stands up, towering over me, and presses his body up against me.

I grunt in surprise but feel something stir in my chest. He grabs my manhood and presses it against his own, which feels hard, and rubs them both together in his hand. Though I'm chained, the sensation is overwhelming, and I let out a soft moan into the air and lay my head down on his shoulder. I wiggle around, trying to feel more of him, and clasp my chained hands together to give myself more stability. But the feeling doesn't last long, because he pulls away too quickly and turns his back to me. He walks towards a table, picks something up, then turns back. In his hand is something small, like an ink pen, but with a sharp tip. I tense up and hold my breath.

"What are you going to do with that?" I ask.

"It's been a while since I tasted it," he replies.

"W-what?" I ask, as if I don't already know.

He chuckles deeply and stands in front of me. Then he leans his head into my neck and whispers, "Your blood."

And at that moment I wince and seethe through my teeth, because he's cutting my flesh with the sharp point, right over my ribs. I take it, though, because I refuse to let him get the better of me. Still, I've been through worse. And though I hate to admit it, I like what's going on. I react from the way he's just cut me by kissing him full on his lips. When the sharp tip leaves my skin I sigh into his mouth, but he soon rips away from my mouth and leans down to lick at the blood now running down my skin. Then he sucks at the open wound he's just made.

It feels strange and hurts a bit, so I struggle and wince, suddenly wondering why I'm here and why I'm letting him do this to me. I couldn't ever imagine doing something like this with Zelda and that thought alone disturbs me.

When he's done, he stands up and wipes my blood from his lips, then he circles around me and gropes me from behind. My arms are tired and my wrists are hurting. I want to be let out of these chains so I can feel his body. It's killing me that I have no control over my own self, and killing me more that I have to take all of this without giving anything back.

I yelp in surprise when he pulls my head back by my hair. He lets my head rest on his shoulder while he penetrates that spot he's claimed so many times now. I can feel his hardness pushing in but I'm too tense in this position, with my arms over my head.

"Just relax and you'll be begging for more in no time," he says. Then he does it, pushes all the way in until I'm groaning in pain.

"Please," I say. "No."

"Oh yes," he moans, thrusting out, then back in.

I let him do it, and take it, because I have to be strong. It's too much in this position, though, so I raise my head up and lean my forehead against one of my arms. I'm panting now because his thrusting is becoming faster and my body is moving forward with his. And within minutes, I'm voluntarily moving along with him, into him, because I want to feel more of him in me. Some of the pain is still there but overall I like what he's doing to me. The chains above me are rattling and I want so badly to touch him that it's nearly killing me.

"Ghirahim," I say. "Please, I need to touch you."

He chuckles from behind me and licks my ear. "I told you, hero, that you'd be begging for it." Instead of carrying out my request, he reaches his arms around and grabs my erect manhood. He pulls at it, making me cry out and wiggle more in my chains. He laughs at my reaction but I don't stop moving into him. "Who knew such a good hero of the goddess loved such masochistic rituals."

"Maso-what?" I say breathlessly.

I imagine he rolls his eyes when he says, "Never mind."

I can hardly think now, because all I want to do is touch him. It's pure torture just not being able to do that. And because of that reason alone I'm sweating. "Let me do it," I say. "Please let me out so I can love you back."

Everything stops at that point. The chains stop rattling and Ghirahim stops his thrusting into me. The only thing I can hear is our heavy breathing.

"What did you just say?" he hisses.

I swallow hard and think back a moment. My head is so hazy now. "I don't..know."

He grips me by my arms and pulls down so that the shackles are digging int my wrists. I grunt in pain and struggle to stop him, but it's no use.

"Don't _ever _say that word, pet. Stop letting your petty human emotions interfere with our nightly rituals."

I close my eyes and focus on his hands on my arms instead of the pain. "Yes," I whisper.

"Yes, _what_?" he sneers.

I grit my teeth. "Yes, Lord Ghirahim."

"I prefer master, but that will do as well."

I lick my lips and taste the copper there from where my blood spilled earlier. It's a reminder that Ghirahim hit me, but I dealt the first punch.

"You've learned so much," he says, thrusting into me once again. "But you stumble over yourself. Don't forget that you love Zelda, but she'll have to deal with a hero who goes behind her back because of a conniving demon that can't keep his hands off you."

"I don't..love Zelda," I pant.

"Oh yes you do. Because if you didn't then we wouldn't be doing this right now. You wouldn't have signed that contract. You wouldn't let me violate you like I am now."

He's hurting me with his hands, but all I can focus on is his words. "Zelda..is my..responsibility. I owe her. She..the goddess."

"You really are pathetic. You have no idea what you want."

"No, I do know. Let me out of these chains, please."

"You're making me angry, hero."

"I thought you wanted me to beg," I pant, almost yell.

"Beg harder," he demands.

"Let me out!" I twist and turn in the chains and manage to slip away from his manhood. "Please, let me out, please." I don't have much energy left. I feel too fatigued from being held up by chains. I feel like a prisoner and this is no longer fun anymore, not with Ghirahim saying those horrid things to me. "I don't want to be here anymore. Let me go," I finally say.

And with that, Ghirahim unlocks the shackles and pushes me to the ground. But it doesn't end there. Instead he grabs me and flips me over, then holds my arms down against the ground. It's cold but it's better than the shackles. I don't even care that he's holding me down, I just let him continue to invade my body, because now I feel him closer to me. He lets go of one of my arms to open my wound back up so fresh blood will spill. Then he licks at the blood there and allows me to run my nails down his back. He's thrusting into me so hard that he's moving us both on the ground until my head hits the leg of the table.

He finishes inside me and moans louder than any other time since we've started this. He's still licking my blood with his tongue as he lets the noises escape his throat. I let him enjoy this but I don't finish with him and he doesn't do it for me either. I don't want to, because I like him better when he doesn't mention Zelda during the act. When he's done, he gets up off me and stands to his feet. I roll over and groan, then try to sit on my knees. I stare down at my wrists, at the faint bruises already appearing there.

"It was good," Ghirahim says.

I look back at him and try to stand to my feet, but my legs are shaking and I sink back down to my knees.

"We'll have to do it again sometime. Of course, using something different that is." He looks at me and I swallow down what I really want to tell him. "Get dressed." He tosses me my clothes and I pull them on slowly. I feel sore and bruised. The blood above my ribs is a mixture of bright and dark red.

Tears threaten to fill my eyes and I'm suddenly angry; angry at Ghirahim for abusing me the way he did, angry because I liked it at first, angry because he reacted so harshly to saying one word. So now, in my anger, I pull the rest of my clothes on, then my boots, and stand to my feet. I rush to the ladder without a word and begin climbing fast. Now I'm the one who will leave him behind after our ordeal, for the first time. Just as I reach the top he's hissing my name behind me. I panic but release the wooden hatch above me and push hard against the rock covering the hole.

"Link!"

Ghirahim is almost to the top when I spring out into the fresh air. The sun is setting now, which means I'll be able to find Skyloft in what light there is left. I stumble to the edge of the island and barely reach the edge when Ghirahim yells my name again. I don't know why but I turn around, and I wish I hadn't because now the tears are streaming down my face. I don't even know why I'm crying, I just know it has to do with him. His face softens when I meet his eyes and he slowly makes his way towards me. I back up until my heels are on the edge, then I stop and suddenly remember my dream. Our situation now is eerily similar, only reversed. But now I know what I have to do.

"I can't keep pretending," I start. "That everything is just sex between us."

He narrows his eyes at me but the way the wind blows his hair into his face makes him look less angry.

"Ghirahim," I hesitate. "I care about you. Call it a petty emotion, but I'm growing fond of your presence."

"Stop it," he hisses. "This wasn't meant to be an act to get you to care about me. I'm a demon, there's nothing about me that you should care about. So I suggest you stop this all right now."

"No, I can't." Another tear rolls down my face and I sniff. "I can't do this anymore. Sometimes I don't mind the pain you inflict, but I can't take the pain you inflict inside. It's killing me, especially when all I want is to be near you, but you only want me for your own pleasure."

He purses his lips at that and rushes towards me, but I take a step back and fall, just like he did in my dream, and fall away through the sky. I see him watch me from above, his hands on his hips, and then I whistle for my Loftwing. He appears within seconds and soon I'm holding onto red feathers. I look back at the island, only to see an angry Ghirahim standing with his arms crossed, watching me the whole way.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

I don't go back to Skyloft, because I know he'll find me there. Instead, I fly for the Sealed Grounds. For some reason, I just want to see Zelda, even if I might pose a threat because of Ghirahim. But I can't keep doing this. The contract either has to end or I have to take Ghirahim down myself. Unfortunately, both paths have the same outcome. And I know now, deep in my chest – no, my heart – that I don't want to kill Ghirahim.

I pull the reins on my Loftwing and stop a moment to think. I don't want Zelda to get hurt and I won't allow her to be hurt, but I also can't kill Ghirahim. I'm in too deep with him now, and killing him would only place a scar on my heart for the rest of my life. So I have to make a decision, right now. Ghirahim or Zelda. I think about it long and hard as my Loftwing glides slowly below, coming nearer and nearer to the Sealed Grounds.

I think about Ghirahim, about how he's shown me his aggression but also a gentle side of him I didn't know existed. Every time I think of him my heart races and despite the twisted thing going on between us, I can't help but care for him. Then there's Zelda, the very reason I'm in all this mess. She is so pure and good, a reincarnation of the goddess herself. If I were to ever end up with her, I have this deep gutted feeling that I would taint her with my body, because my own has been tainted with a demon's. Zelda deserves better than that, but I know how she feels about me.

And with that, I make a decision and know what I have to do.

I knock on Zelda's door after dark. Luckily, she isn't asleep and her father is busy studying in his library. I say hello to him, then sit with Zelda by the fire. She pours me a cup of water and sits across from me in another chair.

"It's so good to see you, Link," she smiles at me. "Will you be staying the week again?"

I bite my lip and look down at my cup. "No, actually. I plan on going back to Skyloft tomorrow."

She frowns at that. "Oh," she says, and looks away. "I hoped when I saw you that you'd be staying longer."

"Some things..have come up," I reply.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, well, sort of."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. I just..I need to ask you something, Zelda."

"What is it?"

"Are you..happy here?"

She smiles at that. "Yes, I am. I'm finally somewhere I belong." She looks at me a moment before saying, "Are _you_ happy, Link?"

I make a soft laugh and look at the fire. "I don't know. I thought I belonged at Skyloft, but I just don't know anymore."

"Link," Zelda says softly, and takes my hand in hers. "Don't go looking for where you belong. Let it come to you."

"You have always been wise, Zelda." I pat her hand. "You always know the right things to say."

"Thank-you. But now I have to ask, what do you want, Link? Where do you feel most happy?"

I look down and think a moment. Any times I've been happy have always been at Skyloft and with Zelda. But I have to pick one or the other and, deep in my heart, I know which one it is.

When I make my way out of Zelda's house I feel a new sense of calm, as if a weight has just been lifted from my chest. The wind is blowing warm air into my face and I know a storm is on its way. I welcome the calm before the storm, it's the way I feel inside right now.

As the dirt crunches under my boots, as the night gets darker and windier, as the torches scattered about blow out, I feel him following me. But I keep walking, because I want to get out of range of the other houses. My own house is a little farther up the road and when I see it in sight I finally slow down so he can keep up with me.

"I thought you were going to do it," I hear him say behind me.

I stop in my tracks but I don't turn around. "Do what?"

"Ask her. To be your wife."

I close my eyes at that and wait as he comes up behind me, but I turn around before he can get to me. He stops just a few feet away and I can see he isn't angry. His face is expressionless and the wind is blowing his hair in his face. I know, with how calm he is right now, that he isn't going to hurt me. At least I hope not.

"No," I say. "I just needed to see her, just needed to talk with her."

"You know, I have to admit, hero, you made me angry running off like that."

"Why, because it was me doing the running this time?"

"You forget your place." He makes his way to me and puts his hand on my neck. He squeezes lightly and leans into me.

"No," I say. "Not here."

"No, not anywhere. I'm not staying the night with you, because you like it too much. You forget we're enemies, forget you're supposed to hate me. Or are you really just so lost that you're beginning to lose your sanity?"

I shake my head and look down. "No, I'm not crazy."

"Then why would you say it."

"Say what?"

"You know what I mean." He moves forward and I take a step back, towards my house. "You 'care' about me," he sneers. "Allow me to let you in on something, pet. Humans _don't_ care about demons."

"You said yourself you're half demon. That means one of your own parents were human. They must have cared for each other."

"No! You're speaking of a petty emotion, one that I won't tolerate. The same emotion that made you give up the very one you signed the contract for."

"I don't understand. I thought the idea was to stay away from Zelda to keep her out of harm's way."

He stops at that and chuckles, but he sounds annoyed. "You're a fool, Link," he says. "You've turned everything around. I had a plan and you ruined it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I wanted you to get with Zelda. I wanted it so I could sneak around with you while she wasn't looking, wanted to torment you to your grave. But no, you still had to be the hero and keep her completely out of my way."

"That's what you do when you care about someone."

He makes a noise in his throat, like a sneer. "More talk of emotions."

"And what makes you more angry is that you can't face the fact that I care about you. You can't even stand the idea. You don't even want to hear anything about it. Yes, you're right when you say I gave up Zelda to keep her out of this. But it wasn't the only reason. I did it..so I could be with you."

Ghirahim glares at me and doesn't hesitate at all in coming right up to me and slapping me hard on my cheek, unfortunately the same area he punched earlier. It was already bruised, because Zelda pointed it out earlier. I stumble back and cough, but I take it, as always. I hold my cheek and stand up. He's still glaring at me, his arms by his side and his fists clenched.

"You're lucky I didn't punch you instead," he seethes.

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I have a feeling you'd like it too much. I don't understand you, human, not at all." He backs away suddenly loosens his fists. "I'm going. Don't follow me." He turns on his heel but I run after him.

"I don't want you to go," I say quickly.

"I said _don't _follow me."

From the tone of his voice, I don't. Instead. I let him go and watch him disappear into the forest.

Of course I follow him. All the way back to the sky. I don't spend the night down below, like I had planned. I had made my decision earlier and I chose Ghirahim. I chose a life of continuous pain and emotional detachment, but for some reason it seemed a better choice than having Zelda as a wife and still going through the motions with Ghirahim. I'm beating myself up for it, though, but keep telling myself I won't let Ghirahim get away from me. He's been toying with me for too long. It's my turn now, especially when he seems so confused about what's going on.

I don't know if he notices, but I quietly follow him on my Loftwing, from a good distance away. It's late into the night and no one else is out except for the guards flying around Skyloft. But Ghirahim is flying away from Skyloft and towards the Thunderhead instead. He enters the gigantic cloud with his bird but I stop outside it and wait a while. Has Ghirahim really been living inside this cloud the whole time? I've been in here before, but I try and avoid it as much as possible. This time, though, I'll make an exception.

I bite my lip and brace myself, then I fly my Loftwing inside the Thunderhead. I close my eyes through the thick barrier of clouds, then open them once I'm inside. It's calm inside the cloud right now so I look around for Ghirahim and spot him landing on a large building sitting on an island. I narrow my eyes and fly towards it. The closer I get the more I see how it is overgrown with weeds and ivy growing up from the ground. The stone on the outside is dark and weather worn. It makes me wonder what the inside looks like. I wonder, at that moment, if I should turn around and go back to Skyloft, or perhaps even back to Zelda.

_"You have to make your own future, Link," _she had said to me. I know Zelda was saddened when I told her I wanted to travel abroad, alone, even though it was a lie. But I think she also respected me for it, even though a part of me feels like she thinks I will return to her one day.

With that in mind, I descend my Loftwing and land on a worn platform below. Once I land I make my way to the building and feel its stones with my hand. They're cold under my touch but I can't help but notice a few thorny vines growing alongside the ivy. There are small red roses blooming from the vines, which I find strange, but it also makes me realize something. The way this building looks on the outside is how Ghirahim seems to be also; full of dangerous, sharp edges but delicate on the inside. Or maybe I'm just fooling myself.

Eventually I find a door. It's sort of hidden within an archway. The handle is brass and I hesitate before placing my hand on it. I bite my lip, hold my breath and pull on the handle. Then I stop, because it doesn't budge, which is strange. I hadn't pictured Ghirahim as one who would lock his door. But I know him better than that. He _wouldn't_ lock his door, which makes me try the handle again. This time, I pull hard and the door budges open. It wasn't locked after all, but jammed from the looks of how the wood is rotted away and falling off on the side. The door creaks when I crack it open and I bite my lip, afraid he might hear me. Then I push it all the way open and look inside.

There's a wide open, dark room with a staircase spiraling up. Barrels and crates are scattered about and shelves are built against the wall. As I walk in I notice bags on the floor of salt and corn. I must be in the cellar, also the lowest point in the place. There's no window here so I'll have to feel my way up the staircase. So I close the door and head for the staircase by memory. As I'm circling up it I begin to sweat, nervous that Ghirahim could be anywhere. Then I suddenly get _very _afraid. I put myself at risk coming here, because he left angry with me. And now that I've walked into his domain..

I stop when I come to the top of the stairs. There's a door so I open it and immediately see light streaming in from windows and candles on the wall. A single hallway is in front of me, and a door lies on the other end. As I walk to the middle of the hallway, there is another hallway linked to that one, going in the opposite direction. Something tells me to go down this one so I do. At the end is another door and another staircase, so I make my way down it and hear noises from down below. I swallow hard when I reach the bottom and peer around the wall on the last stair. There's a big room with old furniture and a long, dusty table. A hearth sits against the wall and a fire is going. I can see now that I'm where one would come through the front door, wherever it is. It's an oddly built place, with crumbling stones in the corners and doors leading off to other rooms.

One of the doors is cracked so I make my way across the room and to the door. I bite my lip and look inside, freezing, but I don't see Ghirahim inside. There is a bed inside and a wooden desk with several books and papers scattered on its surface. The bed is unmade and candles fill the room. A strong smell of incense is coming from inside and I instantly know this is where he sleeps. I smile as I inhale his scent. It gives me the sensation of being close to him so it gives me a comfort.

But, no, this is crazy. I don't know what I'm doing here. He'll kill me if he finds me. I need to leave, now. But right as I turn on my heel my heart nearly jumps out of my chest, because I run right into him. I yelp out loud and jump back so harshly that I close the door and plaster myself to it.

Ghirahim raises a brow and his jaw twitches. "Are you scared?" he asks.

My eyes are wide and I'm stiff against the door. I don't know if there's a more clear answer than that.

"You should be," he continues. "Coming to my residence? I didn't think you had it in you, kid."

"I-I was..worried."

"Worried?" he chuckles and takes a step back. "Worried?!" He yells it this time and in a fit of anger flips over a table sitting beside one of the chairs.

I cringe into myself and look away when I see him coming at me, but all he does is bang his fists on the door beside me. I can feel his anger coming off of him and I don't know, at this point, if he plans on hurting me.

"You are the very reason humans resort to such mundane rituals and traditions. The sole example of letting emotion get in the way. And this is the reason why nothing can ever get done when it comes to the well being of the world."

"The well being?" I half laugh.

"Yes. If my plan had gone through, if Demise had come into this world-"

"Then you would have no need for me," I cut in.

He's silent at that, but he gives me a sour look. "Are you suggesting that you _like_ being my slave?"

I bow my head because of shame, but look up at him with my eyes because I can't deny the truth. "Yes," I whisper.

"You chose me over Zelda."

"Yes."

"I'm beginning to think I'm possessing you."

"Maybe you are. But it doesn't matter. I..will continue to be your slave."

He grabs my collar at that and slams me against the door. "I don't want you here," he hisses.

"Yes you do," I wince. "I promise, I won't let my feelings get in the way."

"You're a bad liar." He pauses and looks at me, searching my eyes, before pulling me forward and pushing me so hard I land on my knees on the floor. "You shouldn't have come here. Leave," he demands.

"No."

He looks at me at that and I see something new in his eyes. A spark that wasn't there before. I don't know whether to be worried or excited. "You're out of line, hero."

I notice the threat in his voice but I ignore it. "I have a contract to follow," I say.

He cocks his head at that and a slow smile forms on his lips. "You're right, a contract, and nothing more. Isn't that right, pet?"

"Yes. Nothing more, I promise."

"Then that means whatever was said earlier in the day is forgotten? It was all a misunderstanding. Confusion on your part. Am I correct?"

"Yes..master."

He smiles at that and licks his lips. "How easy it is to tame a wild dog. Come."

I stand to my feet and follow him through the door I had pressed myself against earlier. As soon as I'm in the room he grabs me and crushes my lips to his. It's all I need right now, just him kissing me. I don't want to admit that it's him now, rather than just someone or something, that I want. And as long as the contract stays intact, as long as I don't let my feelings for him come out again, then this never has to stop and we can do this forever.

Forever.

I stop and push him away when I think that. I put a hand against my head and sweep back my hair. Do I really want to do this with Ghirahim forever? Do I really want to see his face and body for the rest of my life? Do I really want to give up on a possible future with Zelda for..this? Someone that won't even care for me back?

"What?" Ghirahim hisses at me.

"I," I look up at him and suddenly blush. I had just caved into him and it hadn't taken much convincing. I feel like a fool now, giving up Zelda for Ghirahim. Why am I having second thoughts about all this? "I don't know, I..I don't know if I can do this."

"Is it Zelda, hero?"

I look away and he chuckles deeply.

"I knew it. It's alright, I like it better this way, when you pour all your stupid, human emotions on her instead of me. It makes my job a lot easier and exciting to handle." He grabs me again and holds me in a firm grip. He pushes me against a wall and licks at my collarbone but instead of giving in to it like I have been lately I push against him.

"No," I groan.

"You want it," he says against my skin. "And I'm not letting you go, not after you decided to follow me all the way out here, to _my_ domain."

I do want it, but everything feels wrong here, like it did when I was on the island with him, with no one else around. No one would have heard me scream there, so they weren't going to hear me here either. After much struggling, I finally give in and let everything else go. My emotions are everywhere, but he's right, it is better this way. He isn't as angry with me when I don't let my emotions out. So I just give in to him physically, nothing more.

We end up on his bed, which smells good, and I let him use his tongue on my manhood, because it feels good as well. I even help him by thrusting into his mouth and holding his head with my hands. I moan into the air, louder than I ever have, because we're alone now, with no one around for miles. Not even the howling wind outside can carry my cries to anyone. It's so good, all of it, that I end up crying out my release to him, which means I'm enjoying this all too much. So Ghirahim does something he never has before, and hovers over me. He takes both of us in his hand and strokes us together until I release. My face goes red as it comes out, all over my stomach and his hand, and I can't help but twist and turn in the blankets from the intense feeling. Then I wince, because some has gotten on the scrape Ghirahim made earlier in the day, from the cut above my ribs.

I bite my lip and look down at it. When he notices, I'm surprised when he leans down and licks at it. It only makes it sting more, but there's something moving about him doing it to me, as if he's saying sorry for inflicting it. I'll have to wash it later, so it doesn't get infected.

"Someone's excited," Ghirahim says and continues to rub himself against me.

I close my eyes and let my breathing slow down, but when he tries to penetrate me I stop him. "Wait," I say. "Can you lay on your back?"

He cocks a brow but does as I ask. Once he's on his back I climb on top of him and guide his hard manhood into my entrance using the liquid I just released. He goes in slow and, judging by the look on his face, he's already thrilled by what I'm doing. Once he's in I move against him, sideways, up and down, all over. My chest flutters whenever I hear him moan and talk in response.

"Yes," he hisses, placing his hands on my hips. "Such a willing dog."

I close my eyes and put my hand on his chest. I move it up until my fingers hit his lips, where I push them inside his mouth so he can suck on them. Everything I'm doing is daring and I can honestly say I love it. Most of all, I love being against him, feeling his body heat and smelling him so close. It's all intoxicating.

And that's when I realize, with no mistaking, that I'm in too deep.

I push the thought away and let him release inside me. I lean down and replace my fingers with my tongue. I feel his hands on my back, as he's still pushing in me. He rubs them up and down, feeling my shoulders and bottom. He uses his nails a lot, which stings a bit, but I welcome it. Then he pulls out and pushes me off of him.

Now what? When this ends he's usually the one to go first. But now it has to be me, now I have to go. So I get up and grab my clothes.

"You're not going anywhere until I say you can," Ghirahim says.

I stop what I'm doing and look at him. "You always leave once you're done," I say.

"Yes, but I'm allowed to do that. I hold the contract. I can always tie you down if you'd like."

I tighten my jaw at that. "No thanks," I mumble. I remember all too well the shackles I was chained to. I still have the bruises on my wrists. "Fine, I won't go until you tell me to, but that means you have to let me eat and drink."

"An owner wouldn't neglect his dog."

I nod my head. Yes, and a dog would always follow after his owner.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

A few minutes after our ordeal, Ghirahim gives me some bread and cheese with water for food. It's the poorest meal someone could get and I honestly don't know if he's doing it on purpose to prove he doesn't care about me or if it's really the only thing he has. Either way I eat it all and begin to grow tired, as it's late into the night. Ghirahim mentions me sleeping on the couch so he goes into the next room, but he stays gone a while, so I put on my clothes and lay down on his bed instead. I can't help myself at that point and my eyes close. Soon I'm sleeping soundly and don't wake up until hours later.

As my eyes flutter open, I'm aware I'm still in a bed, _his _bed. All the candlelight is gone and the room is so dark I can't see anything, not even light from outside. All I can hear is the wind howling outside and I have to admit, it's a bit frightening. In a panic, because I'm wondering if I'm even still at Ghirahim's place, I prop myself up on my elbow and reach out to grab hold of something, anything. Just so I can be sure I'm someplace with actual objects I can touch. And I do touch something. I touch _him_ and he reacts by grabbing my hand.

"What's wrong, hero? Going somewhere?" he says deeply.

My heart is beating fast because I can't see him and I have no idea what he'll do to me in the darkness. "No, I was just..a bit disoriented."

"I assure you, you're quite alright. You're with me after all."

I swallow hard and look where I imagine his face is. I don't know whether being with him means I am safe or not. I did come here of my free will and now I'm sleeping beside him in his own bed, in his own home, if it is indeed his home. Something tells me he's only lodging here temporarily and that whoever was here last was long gone by the time he found this place.

Finally, I decide I'm safe here with him and relax. I sigh in relief and hang my head down so that it's touching the pillow beneath me. It smells like him, it all smells like him. When I feel him breathing close to my face I turn my head and lean into him and instantly feel his lips against mine. They're so soft right now and gentle, more than I've felt them before. I don't pull away and instead let him kiss me deeper. Then I feel his hand on my face, pulling me closer, and I have the urge to suddenly embrace him. So, in my daring idiocy, I do just that. I pull away from him and wrap my arms around his waist, under his arms so that he can hold me back, but he never does. But he also doesn't push me away, which surprises me. Instead, he tenses up.

"Ghirahim," I whisper. "I'm cold. I just want some warmth." It's a lie, but not completely. He buys it only because I'm shivering, not from the cold, but from the nervousness of being so close to him. He ends up holding me back and I close my eyes against his cheek because I'm pressed up against him completely.

"None of this leaves the dark," he says.

I open my eyes at that and say, "What?"

"None of this hugging and whatever other human thing you want me to do. None of it leaves the dark."

I smile because the lump in his throat is vibrating against my shoulder and it feels so good. "No," I say. "Nothing leaves the dark."

"That means _nothing _at all."

I hesitate at that, trying to figure out what he's getting at. "I don't understand," I say.

"Link," he says boldly. "_Anything _we want to do right now we can and it will be forgotten when the sun rises. Consider this your dream, or your nightmare. Your pick."

I think I understand fully now, but I'm very confused at his insinuation that we be intimate. Is he suggesting that we be more intimate than we ever have been in the past?

"Tell me what you want me to do," he says, growing impatient.

I'm still embracing him and I can still feel his throat vibrating against me, but I know exactly what I want to say. "I..I just want you to talk to me."

"That's it? Just talk?"

"Yes. Just like this.

He makes a noise, like a laugh, and says, "You're a strange being, but I'll give in to this petty emotion thing right now. Just remember to forget this, along with your dreams tonight."

I don't really know which one of us he's trying to convince but at the moment I don't care. All I know is he's still holding me and agreeing to keep talking. This makes me smile against him, as my chin rests on his shoulder, as his does mine.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asks, rather impatiently.

I hesitate before saying, "Well, tell me how you found this place?"

"I was riding on my bird and found it."

"When was that?"

"Sometime before I separated you and Zelda while you were out riding together."

My face grows hot at that and I know he can feel the heat on his bare skin. Back then, Zelda and I had been riding after the Wing Ceremony when a storm tore us apart, all thanks to Ghirahim, of course.

"I figured you'd shut your mouth at that."

"No," I say, trying to cool my body down now. "Tell me more. What was your childhood like?"

"Are you suggesting I had one?"

"Well..weren't you a child?"

"These are matters I won't share with you, not because of personal reasons, but because the question is too ridiculous to respond to."

"How is it ridiculous? You said yourself you were born from a demon and a human. I can't imagine what it would have been like growing up like that."

He pushes me away at that. "You're biting off more than you can chew, kid," he snaps.

"You said we could do anything."

"I know, and we're going to. I'm tired of talking to you. Your turn to talk to me." He suddenly rolls me over onto my back and hovers over me. Then he pins my arms down and I let him. "Why are you so set on caring about me?"

"I'm not set on it," I say softly. "I _do _care about you. Why can't you accept it?"

"My turn to ask the questions. So tell me, then, why you care about someone who has hurt you mercilessly and undeniably over and over?"

"It wasn't always mercilessly."

"What are you talking about?"

"Before any of this started, before I even signed the contract, you took mercy on me every time we met and fought together. Admit it, you felt something for me, even then."

He loosens his grip on my arms at that. "If I felt anything for you, it was excitement, because you never gave up or backed down, no matter what. Not even that first time we met. You fought me, even after I tried to scare you. And your face," he chuckles. "Boy, the look on your face when I got invaded your space, it was absolutely delicious."

I swallow hard at hearing him say this. "Then why did you let me go?"

"You don't give yourself enough credit, kid. But I also loved the cat and mouse chase that went on between us. Keep in mind, human, I never intended to kill you. Ever."

My heart seems to skip a beat at that. "Why," I start. "Why did you want me alive?"

"Because I liked you from the start. I wanted you alive so I could toy with you more after Demise had risen. And then I could do whatever I wanted with the broken hero who had chased me. But now here we are anyway. It's funny how fate has a way of turning things around."

"Why would you want to toy with me?"

"I just told you, silly boy. I loved the excitement we had going on. I ran, you chased. And even when you caught up, annoyed as I was, I still didn't want to kill you."

"Then why did you try to?"

"I was trying to hurt you, not kill you. But never mind that. I eventually got what I wanted in the end, if I couldn't raise Demise. No, forget him. Now I have something better, the very thing that defeated my master. And right now, he's all mine." He kisses me and I can't resist, so I give in instead, savoring the sweet flavor of his tongue. Though his words disturb me, I can't push him away now to ask anything further. So it ends at that.

He isn't rough like he usually is as his hands rove my body. His fingers are needy but they don't hurt or bruise. Instead they touch me gently and his kiss is so soft against my lips that I sigh against his mouth. His hands frame my face as he continues to kiss me, but he soon pulls his lips away to rest his forehead gently on mine and seems to hesitate there. "How do you want to do it?" he asks.

It takes a second before I realize what he means. I hesitate before biting my lip and answer him by pushing him over onto his back. I switch places with him and straddle him now. When he doesn't resist this position I hold his wrists down with my hands.

He chuckles then says, "Daring. What will he do now?"

I purse my lips and am thankful he can't see me in the pitch black. I move my body down so we're touching, chest to chest, and move my hands from his wrists to his hair. I let my fingers feel his tendrils – they're surprisingly soft – and lean in close to his face. I don't kiss him right away. Instead I nuzzle my nose against his jaw and plant a kiss on his neck. This whole time he doesn't move, just lets me do what I want with him. I can feel his chest rise and fall in time with his breathing and I absolutely love that. But I don't move my hands to touch him there, or anywhere else. I keep them in his hair, still playing with the white strands I'm imagining running through my fingers. I move my face up to kiss his jaw gently, then his cheek. I don't want his lips right now though, I just want everything else. So I lay my head down on his shoulder and kiss him there, on his collarbone, on the bulging lump in his throat.

It's when I do this that he finally reacts to me by squeezing my hind cheeks with his hands. I feel him hard beneath me, so I decide to go further. I venture my mouth back up to his face and brush my lips against his before kissing him. As I kiss him passionately and continue to play with his hands, his arms embrace me and his hands grip my shoulders, as if he doesn't want to let me go. I get so into kissing him that I begin moaning into his mouth and smoothing back his hair with my hand while my other caresses his face. Everything about what's happening is so tender that it makes me feel alive, on fire. And for the first time in a long time I feel good and happy. It's only better because he's responding back to me the way I want him to, with care, with love..

When I feel him poking at my entrance I give in, slowly, still on top of him. I bite my lip because there's always pressure at first, but once he's all in I begin to move on top of him. He moves too, thrusting into me from the bottom. I never let go of his hair, even as I begin sucking on his neck. I want to leave a mark on him, like all the ones he's left on me.

I get chills when he rubs up and down my back with his hands, from my hind cheeks up to my neck, and eventually my hair. When his hands reach my hairline he seems to hesitate before moving one of his hands through my tendrils. I move so I can kiss him on his lips, so I can let him touch my hair better. And he does, he touches me so tenderly, that I moan again. My body is so hot and alive, more than it ever has been, and I can only hope he feels the same way. With my body feeling so good, I remove one of my hands from his hair to stroke my hardness with.

He gives a little laugh at that, but it's so light hearted that I laugh back, a giggle I wish I hadn't let out. But he doesn't seem to care because he takes my face and pulls me back down to kiss him as he continues to thrust into me from below. I moan into his mouth as he hits a spot, as I stroke myself in rhythm. I can feel the sweat already beading on my head and I know he can feel the heat and intensity between us because his head is growing hot against my other hand. I don't want what's going on to end but I also want the release for both of us, because I want this moment to be uninterrupted. But with the way he's touching me, the way I'm giving it to him so willingly, it all adds up and I can't help but release myself all over him. I breathe into his neck as my body convulses with the feeling it's giving me. When I'm spent I give him a kiss. He's still thrusting into me and by the way he's breathing I can tell he's near his peak.

"Come here," he says to me and grips my neck in his hand. He pulls me into a sloppy kiss and right before he releases inside me he turns me over onto my back and thrusts harder and deeper into me. He moans deeply into my mouth with each thrust and even when he's spent he keeps going with his thrusting, until I can feel his seed running out of me.

I moan and throw my head back, giving him access to my neck. He sucks at my skin there and his breathing becomes harder. Finally, with a last deep thrust inside me, he calms down and stops his movement against me. He pulls out of me and rolls over onto his back, pulling me roughly with him so that I'm top of him again.

I'm surprised at this but I welcome it anyway, even though I'm halfway on him. My head is laying on his chest and he has a hand on my head. I smile against him and close my eyes. Everything was so dark, everything still is. But it doesn't matter. Even he can't deny what happened between us tonight, even if he tries to.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

I wake to the sound of shuffling and a bright light shining in my face. I open my eyes and look over to see Ghirahim standing near a table, looking at me. He doesn't look happy so I look away and sit up in the bed. I notice my shirt is off but my trousers are still on, which makes me wonder: did I put them back on after our ordeal just a few hours ago?

"Time for you to leave," he says to me.

I'm taken aback but get off the bed. I gather my tunic and pull it on, then my boots.

"I'll see you tonight," he says, his attention now turned to the table full of books.

I bite my lip before heading for the door, but I hesitate before leaving and stop. "Ghirahim," I say, but he doesn't turn around. He doesn't acknowledge me at all. Instead, he continues looking and flipping through books. I want to mention what happened between us in the middle of the night, but I have this feeling he'll only turn it around on me. Then I remember what he said to me. _Nothing leaves the dark_.

I leave when I remember that, because Ghirahim isn't listening anyway and I need to get out of here. As I make my way through the next room I see a door leading outside so I decide to take that way instead of making my way back into the cellar. However, I stop at a small table on my way out and look back at the room Ghirahim is still in. I can see the candlelight bouncing the shadows in the doorway. I think a moment, about Ghirahim and him loving me so gently early this morning. Without even really thinking, my hand shoots up to my right ear and touches the red earring there. I've always worn them, ever since I found them, but now I suppose I could part with at least one. So I take the one out of my right ear and lay it on the table for him. Then I leave, too upset to linger any longer.

I go back to Zelda's, because I left so suddenly yesterday. I don't think she ever knew I left, though, because she greets me openly.

"Hello, Link, I trust you slept well?" she starts.

"Yes," I say, then I frown.

"What's wrong?" She touches my arm. "Link?"

"I..I have been upset..these past few months. Can we talk in private?" I look around to see if anyone is around, but I still want to be alone with her to talk.

"Of course," she says, and I follow her back to her house. She makes us both some tea then she sits down, but I stand because this is too much.

"I..I think there may be something wrong with me," I begin.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, I just..someone has upset me. No one here, not you, just..someone."

Something changes on Zelda's face and she raises her chin and casts her eyes down, as if something is coming to her. "I see," she says. "Is this someone..a friend? More, perhaps?"

I look down, ashamed now. "Perhaps."

She sighs and pats her hand on the chair beside her. "Please, sit," she says.

I do as she says, because it's so hard to not obey her soft voice.

"I can't help but think you're in love," she says, but her face is sad.

My face goes red at that. "I..no, I don't think I'm..no, I don't believe I am," I laugh.

"Link, I see it in your face. Every time I see you you're sighing, as if you're upset, and you always seem to be daydreaming. Like your thoughts are someplace else."

"I can't be..no, it's ridiculous."

"Then what would you call it? Who is this someone who is making you feel this way?"

"I can't tell you, just know that they don't care about me like I do them."

"Have you at least let your feelings out about them?"

"Sort of. It came out a bit wrong, or strange."

"Try telling them how you feel, and if they don't feel the same back, then you have to move on. Is it anyone I know in Skyloft?"

"No," I hesitate. "I met them on my travels."

"Well," she says, sighing and looking away. "She is a very lucky girl to have such a handsome and heroic guy like you interested in her."

I look down at that. "I'm sorry," I say. Then something comes to my mind. Maybe this is my chance, my chance to listen to Zelda's words and forget Ghirahim and try to woo her instead.

"Don't be. I had thought for a time that we would be together, but I knew when you went back to Skyloft that you weren't ready, and I know you still aren't. If it wasn't meant to be, Link, then I have to respect that and move on."

"You're wise, my princess. I wish I could do more for you." I take her hand, which may be the wrong thing to do – but right now I have to keep my focus off Ghirahim – and kiss her skin. My lips linger too long and when I look up she is staring at me seriously, but invitingly. My heart skips a beat but I don't know what to do at this point. I'm too used to Ghirahim making the first move.

When I don't do anything it's her that moves in and kisses me full on the lips. It's short, but sweet and gives my body a chill. Her lips are different from Ghirahim's, much softer and gentle. When we pull back I hesitate and give a nervous smile.

We don't kiss again that night, because I think she could sense the tension in me, but I think about it over and over after I leave, which is sometime later. On my way back to my house I think about Zelda, but mostly Ghirahim. He said he would see me later, which meant he would be here tonight. And when he figures out I'm not at Skyloft he'll come looking for me here, unless he's already stalking me.

I don't go inside my house once I get to it. Instead I keep walking, past it to the trees beyond, until I get to the pond where me and Ghirahim had been intimate before. I decide to wait here for him, because this was the first place I began to really have feelings for him. I want to do what Zelda suggested, and let him know my true feelings. That I don't just care for him, but that I think I love him. I know he won't like it and it's insane that I feel the way I do, but I can't help but like being around him now, even if it's unhealthy.

It's getting late now and the sky is showing signs of the sun setting, turning it a bright orange. I look up at the waterfall and see a place where I can climb up to it. So I do and once I make it to the top I can see the little river flowing down from a deeper place in the forest. I sit on a nearby rock and pick up a stick while I wait. I draw invisible lines in the grass but eventually move the ground enough to make a 'G' there. Then I stop, because now I know I'm just being silly. When I look up I notice the sky has gotten darker. I sigh, wondering where Ghirahim is, but also remember I left without telling him I was coming back here, or even to the pond. Eventually the wait gets to me and I lay down in the grass by the river and fall asleep.

When I finally come to it's dark and I groan at the ache in my back. But when I look around at my surroundings I see someone sitting on a rock, and I instantly know it's him. My heart speeds up when I see his body outlined in the moonlight. I force back a smile, because right now isn't the time to be loving, which I know he doesn't want anyway.

"Sleep well, puppet?" he asks. His legs are crossed and he has his chin propped on his fist.

"No," I reply, and sit up.

"Why are you sleeping all the way out here?"

"I was going to wait for you here but grew tired."

"Ah, I see. You wanted a little repeat of last time."

"I just wanted to talk with you away from the town."

"Well," he says, setting both his feet on the ground. "I'm all ears."

I bite my lip and prepare to tell him my feelings, just the way I had planned it out in my head. "I..well." I tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear and stop. I can't do this, not right now.

"You are being undeniably cute right now," he says. "It makes me want to rip you shreds."

I blush at that and suddenly stand up, which was the wrong thing to do, because standing up sometimes makes me overconfident, especially with Ghirahim sitting down. And I end up saying, "You told me to forget it, but it's still there. And I know you remember it, too, what we did last night."

His jaw tightens at that and he stands to his feet. He takes a step forward and is suddenly towering over me, looking down at me with a frown. "What are you talking about?" he says.

It was the wrong thing to say but it's been eating at me all day. And now that he's denying it is only making me angry. "Stop it," I say. "Just stop it. You know what we did. You told me nothing leaves the dark but it did, because I feel it right _here_." I make a daring move and grab his arm, but he lets me place his hand on my chest, right over my heart.

He looks down at me, his hand still on me, and leans in. "That," he starts. "Is the most..ridiculous thing I've ever heard you say." He shoves me away at that and I feel my heart break. "You're so far out of line I don't know what to do with you. Of course, I can't take everything you say seriously since you decided to kiss that little brat earlier."

"What? How-"

"How did I know you kissed her? Don't you know me by now, Link?"

"I didn't kiss her. She kissed me. But what does it matter to you?"

"It matters a great deal. You're telling me you _feel_ something for me, but you run off and kiss that whore."

"Why do you sound so jealous?"

He chuckles at that. "I'm not, just stop lying."

"It isn't a lie! She caught me when I let my guard down."

"Fine, tell me then," he pauses and jerks me forward by my collar, which makes me grunt and bump into him. "Who's the better kisser?"

I swallow hard but I know without a doubt who it is. "You," I say. "It'll always be you."

"First lover, you would say that."

"No, it's more than that."

"Why don't you shut your mouth or I'll show you what I can do when I'm angry?"

I close my mouth at that and watch as he bends his neck down to kiss me. I realize now, for certain, that his lips taste a hundred times better than Zelda's. "Ghirahim," I whisper, and embrace him.

He doesn't push me away but he sighs heavily. "You're becoming a nuisance, pet, you really are. Of course, in a way I pity you. I mean, a dog usually does attach to its owner so I can see your dependency, but this is ridiculous. I see I need to train you harder."

"I'll do whatever you say."

"Of course you will."

I look down but I can't help but notice we're still close and half embracing. Then he sighs again and pulls away from me.

"I can see now," he starts. "Exactly what you're feeling."

My chest stirs and I look up at him with a spark of hope and wait for him to go on.

"Infatuation. You're letting everything I'm doing to you get to you, but as soon as someone else comes along you'll forget about me and move on to them."

"No, it isn't like that."

"You already kissed Zelda, who else will steal a kiss from you?"

"No one. I don't want to be with Zelda."

"No, for some reason I can't understand, you want to be with me. Alright, then, I'll give you what you want." He backs away from me and crosses his arms against his chest.

"What?" I ask, confused.

His lips curl up into a cruel smile. "I'll let you spend an entire week with me, all day, all night. I'll show you how it really is to be in the company of a demon."

I look at him tiredly but that stirring in my chest starts up again. "A-An entire week, with you? Where?"

"Not here, and not in the sky. We'll do some traveling, starting tomorrow. That means I'll stay with you tonight."

I look down and think about that. A whole week with Ghirahim? This could be either good or bad. But I know I'll do it, because I can't get my head out of the clouds. "Okay," I finally say. "I'll do it."

"There are a few conditions, of course," he says.

I clench my jaw at that and raise my chin. "What?"

"The contract still ensues, and you have no say so about where we go."

I sigh and look away. "Why are you really doing this?"

"To show you that you _don't _want to care about me," he growls. His fist is clenched into my collar again and I can see that he means what he's saying. "You're a pathetic fool and could use some discipline. I've let you have your way for too long."

I'm angry now, but I'll go along with whatever it is he's planning for now. I look up at the sky and focus on where I think Skyloft is. "If I go," I say. "Then I'll need to go back to Skyloft tonight to pack a few things."

"I'll meet you there," Ghirahim says.

I feel him withdraw from me and when I finally look over he's gone. I have to admit, in my heart I am afraid, because Ghirahim doesn't want my love, but I need his. And then suddenly it occurs to me, as I look back up at the sky, that maybe Ghirahim doesn't want my love but perhaps he needs it too, like myself. And if that's the case then I will try and earn his love back in any way that I can. I've felt his heart beat before and I know he can feel. I just have to try and make him see.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

We leave early the next day from Skyloft. At first I think we're going to fly to wherever it is he wants us to go, but we end up descending to the ground and continue on foot. I'm a bit wary about all of this and about where we're going, but for some reason something deep inside me trusts him, even though I know I shouldn't.

It's as we're trekking our way through some trees in a forest that I ask him, "Where are we exactly?"

"A little east of the Sealed Grounds," he replies.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"Well I'd like to know where I'm going at least."

He stops at that and turns around. He cocks his head and puts a finger to my mouth. "Sh," he says sharply. "You're disturbing the peace."

I cock a brow at him and begin to say something but decide against it.

"That's better. Now follow but be quiet."

I'm already not liking this trip but it's better to cater to him now and avoid a scene. We walk for a long time, with a simple pack on my back and one on his. It makes me smile, because he looks so incredibly human right now, and even though this trip is starting out bad at least we're doing this together. I feel close to him right now and can't help but stare at him the whole way through the forest.

Eventually, he finally says, "I hate traveling, especially through these damnable trees. But I can't warp you with what power I have and even that takes a lot of energy these days."

I narrow my eyes at that. "Why are you so weak?" I ask, and immediately shut my mouth because I know it was the wrong thing to say. And I'm right, because within seconds he has me pinned against a tree with his arm against my neck, threateningly.

"I am _not_ weak," he says deeply.

I'm holding my breath from the way he's got a hold on me, but I can't help but look up into his brown eyes and hope. Hope for something that will never happen. Then I do let out a breath, because as he stares me down he bends down until he's on my level, and loosens his arm against my neck. His face softens and he puts a hand on my face.

"You're such a fragile human, aren't you?" he says gently. "So desperate for affection, for _love_. I'll let you in on something, pet." He comes close to my ear now and whispers, "I'm going to rip that heart of yours out and break it into a million pieces."

When he withdraws away from me I look down and sigh deep within my chest. He really knows how to get me going, then make me feel like dirt. If that's the case then I can't give into him. Instead, I have to ignore any of his attempts to be affectionate and start placing my trust elsewhere.

"You coming, hero?" he says as he begins walking.

I look at him and follow after him, cursing myself now for even saying anything.

We stop our walk around evening and set up camp in a small clearing in the forest. I'm somewhat used to doing this from my travels before, but it's been a while since I've slept on the ground. While I gather wood for a fire Ghirahim fills our bottles with water from a nearby stream. When he gets back we set up a canopy with sticks and a blanket, because the clouds are threatening rain.

"I'll be damned if a storm comes while we're out here," Ghirahim says.

I look up at the sky and bite my lip, because I have a feeling, by the feel and smell of the air, that rain is on the way. I've been living in Skyloft too long not to know when rain is coming. I continue on, though, and while I eat some bread with butter Ghirahim only eats an apple. It's no wonder he is so thin. We sit at the fire for a while as the evening sky turns dark. It's a bit odd, sitting here with him like this, but I know it won't last long. And it doesn't, because eventually he sighs and moves himself under the canopy.

"Come here," he demands, and like an obedient dog I do.

The way he's sitting leaves me no choice but to crawl on top of him, so I do, but for some reason I'm tense tonight. Things..just feel wrong, so when he touches my arms I wince and look away, as if his touching is hurting. And when he places his lips on my neck I seethe and struggle against him.

"Putting up a fight tonight?" he says against me. "Good, it makes me want it even more."

Maybe it's because I no one is around for miles, or that I don't know where I am; whatever it is, it's making me really not want him right now, just like when we started doing this. But the heavier it all becomes, the more he grips me hard in his hands and forces his mouth on me, the more I struggle and can't seem to breathe.

"I ca-" I start breathlessly. "I can't..I can't do this.." I eventually get out. "Stop."

"Yes, you do want it," he says and begins tugging my clothes off.

"No," I say again. "Ghirahim, stop."

But he doesn't listen. Instead he pins me against his chest with his arms and tries to kiss my mouth, but I twist and turn so he can't.

"Stop," I whisper, pushing against him, and then finally I let him have it. "Stop it! Just stop!" A surge of energy runs through me and I manage to pull free from him and push him away. I'm sitting on the ground now, away from him, my shirt half on me and my belt undone. The look on Ghirahim's face is angry.

"What," he starts, and grips my boot in his hand. "Is your _problem_?" He jerks me forward until I'm under the canopy with him again.

I grunt from the jerk and plant my hands on the ground. "I..I don't know," I say.

"Well you'd better start explaining, unless you want me to start using threats." He pulls out a knife from his waist and points it at me.

I tense at that and swallow hard. "I..I just feel..I don't know."

"You don't make sense half the time," he sighs and lowers the knife.

I hesitate, because I don't know what to say to the way I've just reacted. I just sort of panicked, but I don't tell him that. Instead, I say, "I..just need to relieve myself."

"No, really? That's what I'm trying to do for you." He cocks a brow and leans in close to me.

"No, I mean, I gotta go. You know.."

The realization dawns on him and he looks away and sighs. Then he holds his hand out, as if saying _go on, be my guest_.

So I do, I leave the canopy and make my way through the trees until I think he can't see me and I relieve myself in some bushes. It was a half lie, mainly to get away from what just happened and to clear my head so that I will be able to go back to him and let him continue to have his way with me. But I did also have a full bladder. Either way, I don't know why I panicked the way I did. I suppose things were too rushed and being out in the middle of nowhere with no one around, I don't have that comfort of knowing someone will rush to my aid if he leaves me for dead.

I can't deny that I've thought about it, him leaving me. It's been crossing my mind ever since he mentioned we spend the week together. For some reason, I have this feeling deep in my gut that he's going to do something to me, something horrible. So I guess that's why I panicked, but I can't let him know. So when I'm done I go back to the canopy and find him still sitting where he was, except he's laying on his back with his feet crossed. I make a noise to let him know I'm back and he sits up.

"About time," he says. "I was beginning to think you'd run off."

"No," I say. "I just needed some fresh air."

He raises his chin at me then pulls me into the canopy with him. "You want me, pet?" he says against my ear.

I close my eyes and let go of any bad thoughts I've had and instead surrender to him. "Yes," I whisper in reply.

"Then take your clothes off." He pushes me back until I'm sitting on my knees.

I'm a little confused at first, but then I realize he really does want me to take my clothes off, in front of him.

"Go on," he says. "Give me a show, hero." He leans back on his hands and cocks his head as he looks at me.

For some reason I feel intense heat radiate my body. I shouldn't feel embarrassed. After all, we've done everything two people could possibly do to each other. But still, this, I've never done this with him watching me before. I breathe in deep as my hands go to the threads on my shirt. I unlace them and then slowly pull my shirt over my head. At the sight of my bare chest Ghirahim smiles and puts a hand on his trousers. I hesitate before pulling off my boots. Next is my buckle, but as I'm undoing it Ghirahim suddenly sits up and pulls me against him with it.

"I guess I just can't resist," he says and rubs his palms down my waist and squeezes me when he gets to the hem of my trousers. He makes a sort of moan in his throat and looks up at me. "You're body is absolutely amazing to look at, and feel."

I feel something when he says that, deep in my stomach. It arouses me even and makes me smile a bit. We're both sitting on our knees now but with his height towering mine he has to bend down to meet my lips. When he kisses me I feel a chill go up my back, even though the fire is burning just behind us and making my bare skin warm. With my trousers still on, he reaches behind me and grabs me, which makes me grunt in surprise, and squeezes me in his palms. They don't stay there long, though, because his hands eventually make their way back to my hips and grope at the bones there.

"I don't think any woman could possibly be as irresistible as you are now," he mumbles against my shoulder.

He's making me breathless with the things he's saying and I can't help but notice how gentle he's being. I feel so on fire from his touches and endearing words that I don't realize until he's pushing me back that he's got my trousers already down to my knees. He lays me down on the ground at that point and takes off his shirt, but he doesn't take off his own trousers. He only takes his arousal out and lays down on top of me, already ready to penetrate me on the ground.

"I want it now," he says into my ear, then he bites my lobe. "I want it _deep_."

I gasp when he says that last part, because he's already pushing inside, roughly. But through the pain I can feel that warmth that is already leaking from his arousal, which tells me he's been aroused for a while now and I know it's not going to take much for him to let go. I take it, too, and let his thrusts into me jolt me against the dirt. I can't help but feel timid, though, because I'm completely naked and he still has his trousers and boots on. This tells me he really wants it bad..or maybe he wants me. I can only hope for the latter.

Ghirahim moans against my neck as he pushes further into me, his body so close to mine I can feel his clammy skin. "The way you feel right now," he breathes. "I want to feel this all the time."

I furrow my brows and close my eyes, afraid to respond to him. I don't know what to say and right now I like the way he's handling me, as opposed to earlier. So instead of responding with words I respond by leaning up and kissing him full on his lips. He returns it by diving his tongue into my mouth. It becomes sloppy and rushed but it makes me feel alive and I suddenly want to give everything to him – my mind, my life, my heart. I moan into his mouth tangle my fingers in his hair. I want him to know I love him-

Love.

I stop when I think on what I've just thought and breathe into his neck, breathless now and a bit dizzy. I can't possibly..love him, like Zelda said, could I?

"What's wrong?" he says.

"Nothing, just a little dizzy," I say.

He lays me back down on the ground so that my head is on the dirt and licks at my collarbone. His hands never leave my hips, or my arousal, which he starts stroking. And when he starts doing that I can't help but move my hips into him, because he knows how to make me feel good. I want to tell him, to let him know how I feel emotionally, but I know he won't understand. So I think of something else to say instead.

"I love.." I start to say. "I love feeling you..inside." It isn't what I want to say but it's good enough.

"You're a good, dog, you really are," he pants.

I lean my head back into the dirt, so that I can see the fire now, upside down. I think he likes me doing this too much, because only a few seconds with his lips on my throat in this position has him moaning and jerking until he's relieving himself inside me. I want all of it, too, everything he's giving me. He's stopped stroking me at this point, so I reach my hand down and take over. I grit my teeth, close my eyes, and stretch my legs out. I imagine his essence pouring into me and that makes it happen. I go over edge, dig my nails into the dirt while my other hand continues stroking myself fast. And just as I'm hitting my peak, just as I'm moaning so loudly that anyone around could hear it, Ghirahim pulls out of me and licks at my arousal as it bursts.

My hips jerk up into his mouth as he takes all of me. He licks up and down me, and I can feel his tongue licking up whatever is seeping out of me. It all feels so good that dig my other hand into the dirt, my nails scraping and my teeth so tight they hurt. My eyes roll back into my head and I can feel the sweat beginning to drip from my head. Never, not once, has he ever done that to me, which makes me wonder, as he raises up and wipes his mouth, as he looks at me with a dark glare, what he's thinking.

I lay there for a while, trying to regain my composure and cool off, while he sits up and lays down on his back. Finally, when he's still and I hear snores coming from the canopy, I get up and try to stand, but my legs are wobbly. The fire is beginning to die out but I want to clean myself up before I go to sleep. So I manage to stand and make my way to the stream a few feet away. I wince when I bend down to rinse the place he penetrated. I touch myself there, just to see if it's swollen, and feel something sticky, but it doesn't feel like what he put into me. I look at my fingers and, from the light from the fire, see red stained there. Blood? He made me bleed? I look around, then back at my fingers. I hadn't noticed he was being so rough. Or perhaps I did, but didn't want to notice it because I was enjoying it too much.

"Something wrong?"

My head jerks up to see Ghirahim leaning against a tree, watching me.

I rub my fingers and then turn away. "No," I say. "Just cleaning up."

"Well hurry," he snaps. "Last thing I need is for you to get lost."

I bite my lip and bend down to the stream as I hear him walk away. I had wanted to tell him I loved him, all the while he was hurting me and I didn't even realize it. I realize now that I am numbed inside, from him, from this whole situation. So much that this love I think I'm feeling may just be artificial and a defense mechanism to stop the pain from reaching my heart. But if that's the case, then why does my heart hurt so badly right now?


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

It ends up raining in the morning so we start out slow walking and eventually come out of the forest around noon. And when we do come out, we come to miles and miles of fields, and in the distance are mountains like none I've ever seen before. I remember reading about mountains in the books in the library back at Skyloft, but I hadn't really encountered any on my travels so far, until now. They are so breathtaking that I stop in my tracks atop the hill we're coming out of, and look at them in awe. The way they slope up and then back down, the grayish, smoky color they are, the way the clouds hang low around them, I can't help but smile at it all. There is even a lake way down below, faint to make out in the distance. It may take an hour or two to reach it from here.

"Well, are you coming, hero, or are you just going to glare at the scenery all day?"

I look down at Ghirahim, whom is standing down below now, off the hill. I nod my head and follow after him, but end up going to fast down the hill and run right into his back when he's turned. He flies forward but catches his balance so he doesn't fall. He jerks his head back at me and narrows his eyes, but I just shrug.

"Sorry," I say.

"Whatever. Let's keep moving."

"At least the rain has let up," I say, though it's still drizzling. We're both pretty damp from all the rain and I don't know how we're going to find shelter in this open land, but I have to trust him.

"Not for long," he says. "It looks like it's going to start pouring again soon." I look up at the sky with him and notice how the clouds are darkening.

And he's right, because within an hour the sky becomes even darker and thunder claps loudly overhead. The rain begins pouring until we can hardly walk, so we look around for shelter. Luckily, we at least make it to where the land is becoming rockier and that makes for small nooks to sit under to shelter us from the rain. We find a big collection of rocks and sit underneath them until the rain clears out.

I begin to shiver as I sit with my knees drawn up to my chest. The rain isn't particularly warm and neither is the air outside. My bag is wet and probably the blanket I brought. I'm beginning to think this trip was a bad idea now. There's nothing to make a fire with but I notice when I look over that Ghirahim isn't shivering. This slightly bothers me so I look away and my body trembles violently.

"You cold, pet?" Ghirahim asks.

I grit my teeth but they're chattering, so I just don't respond. And when I don't he pulls his bag off and sets beside him. He takes out a few things and lays them out to dry, then he takes off his cloak and shirt and lays them out over a rock deep in the nook with us.

"Might as well take them off," he says. "We aren't going anywhere for the rest of the night. There's only a few more hours of daylight anyway."

My teeth continue to chatter but I don't pull off my clothes, at least not until he moves beside me.

"Take this off," he says. "Or you'll catch a cold."

I look down, confused, as he pulls my shirt over my head. Why would he care if I got a cold?

"You're no good to me sick, because then you can't do anything."

My heart falls at that, even though something tells me it was only a quick cover up. I can't help but still have a little bit of hope inside that he may care back. I take off my boots as he lays my shirt on the rock beside his and warm my hands with my breath. My pants aren't as wet but they are still a bit damp. I leave them on anyway. I don't know if taking off my shirt has made me colder now but that soon changes when Ghirahim moves beside me. In one swift motion he embraces me and rubs my arms with his hands, which is warming my body. I chatter my teeth into the crook of his neck and feel my eyes stinging with wetness. I'm so touched by what he's doing that I want to cry, but I can't. Not like this, and not right now. So instead I will the tears away and lay my head down on his shoulder.

His hands run over my back now, and I can feel a warmth throughout my body. I respond to him by doing the same, and run my palms up and down his bare skin. He seems to be taking the cold quite well, though. I should be used to it, living up in the sky for so long. But I always had a room and a fire to go to. Now I don't have any of those things. Just Ghirahim.

For some reason, as I'm rubbing his back like he's doing mine, my eyes becomes heavy, and I feel myself drifting. My arms stop what they're doing and my hands hit the dirt gently. Ghirahim continues to rub my arms and back and I eventually fall asleep against him, something I never thought I'd ever do. And what's more, he lets me do it.

I wake back up only minutes later, because he's shifted me against the back of the rock now. But as I look out from our nook I see that the rain has let up and the sky is darker than it was earlier. How long have I been asleep? I look over and see Ghirahim curled against the rock beside me, but he's a few feet away from me. His eyes are closed, so I assume he's asleep, so I turn my head and watch him for a while. His face is amazing to look at when he's sleeping. I can only wonder what he's dreaming about. I suppose I'm watching him for too long, because he stirs and opens his eyes. When he looks over at me I look away.

"I really hate being wet and cold, sitting under a rock with _you_," he suddenly says.

That makes me upset, so I look away and don't answer him.

"I'm thinking of just going ahead and teleporting us."

My eyes widen at that and I look back over at him. "I thought you said you couldn't," I say.

"No, I said I didn't have the energy. I teleport when I'm not with you, but when we're together I don't bother, because it takes too much out of me to teleport two people."

_When we're together_. I let those words linger in my head for a moment before saying, "Well, if you did, where would we go?"

"To my domain," he replies, and looks at me.

I get a chill from the way he says it and from the way he's looking at me. "You're domain?"

"Yes. Before you came along and destroyed all my plans, I had quite the mansion, full of servants and slaves. Of course, now they are all gone and so whenever I have the decency to go back there it's just me."

I swallow hard. "T-That's where we're going, then? To where your really live?"

"If you want to call it that. It's where I dwell. But it's a nuisance trying to walk there."

"Then teleport us," I say hesitantly.

"If I teleport us then I will be drained. I can't risk you running away from me once we get there."

"I won't run away. I promise." I have no idea why I've just promised him something, because I can sense something bad coming. But I still want this hope that there is more between us.

Ghirahim smiles at that. "Good, remember you said that, pet." He moves out into the drizzle now and stands up. Then he turns around and holds out his hand for me.

"What about our clothes?" I ask.

"Forget them for now," he says.

I hesitate in taking his hand, wondering if I should really trust him. Then I realize I've been trusting him no matter what, and take his hand. He pulls me up against him, looks down at me, and pulls me close against him with his arm. He chuckles at me before leaning his head down to my face.

"Hold on tight, hero," he whispers into my ear.

So I do. I wrap my arms around him tight and close my eyes. Then it happens. A rush of wind so harsh it feels like I'm falling through the clouds back at Skyloft. I can still feel him, but faintly, and I wonder at what's happening, because it doesn't feel real yet at the same time it does, like a dream. Then it stops and the air is suddenly warm and dry. I don't feel Ghirahim anymore but instead something soft. I dare to open my eyes and look up.

I'm on a big bed in a dimly lit room. Walls surround me on all sides and a single door stands in front of me. The blankets are a deep red and feel amazingly warm. The room smells like Ghirahim, so much that I know wherever I am, this is his dwelling place. I just don't know where he is. Then something comes to me as I look down at the red blankets. This place is familiar, as if I've been here before. Then it comes to me, hitting me so fast that I throw back the blankets and crawl toward the edge, but I don't get down.

I dreamed this place once. One time, a while back, when me and Ghirahim had stayed at the Lumpy Pumpkin inn. Everything is exact, from the bed to the blankets to the stone walls to the candles to the door. The only thing missing is-

The doorknob turns before I can even think it, and the door creaks open. Ghirahim walks in, dripping wet, just like in the dream. I'm losing it on the inside, but on the outside I simply want answers. "Ghirahim," I say.

He looks at me but ignores me and pulls off his cloak, along with his clothes and any weapons he has, and lays them on a table I hadn't noticed before beside the bed.

"Ghirahim," I say again. "What's wrong?"

"You wouldn't understand," he says deeply, his voice tired sounding. "A petty human like you couldn't understand."

"Just tell me what it is. I can try."

He sighs heavily then looks at me. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because..I care about you."

He laughs at that, then crawls on the bed towards me. "Well do you want to know what I think?" he asks.

"What?" I whisper.

"I think that I'm going to do this," he says, and licks my face. "And then you're going to let me into this bed with you."

Everything that's happening is far too eerie to discard, so as Ghirahim lays himself down on top of me I speak up first. "I dreamed this," I say.

Ghirahim suddenly stops and his whole body tenses up. "What?"

"Everything that just happened, where I am, what we said, I dreamed it all.."

His jaw twitches and he sits back on this knees. "Don't you think you're being a bit childish right now?"

"I'm not making this up," I say and sit up too. "When we stayed at the inn, I had a dream, about you. I was in this same room and you walked in and did everything exactly. Well, except when you got on the bed. What you said was a little different." Which I couldn't complain on that, seeing as in my dream he had told me I was only a pawn to him. This was much less upsetting.

Ghirahim suddenly looks at me and narrows his eyes. "What are you, really?" he asks, seriously.

I look at him, in both confusion and shock. "What do you mean? I'm me, Link."  
He purses his lips at that and pins me down to the bed. "Do you think this is funny?"

"Do you see me laughing?" I say, becoming angry.

"Forget it. I have you right where I want you." He kisses me deeply, but I feel his arms tremble and then he collapses on top of me. He rolls himself over onto his back, sighs heavily, and instantly falls asleep.

I'm shocked at the whole thing that I just sit there for a while and watch him, just to make sure he isn't faking. He's never just fallen asleep before. But then it comes to me. Ghirahim said teleporting me would drain his energy, so that must be what happened. He secured me in this room alone, I assume, just in case he lost his energy before making it to me.

After several minutes of pondering and making sense of what just happened, I sigh and lay my head back on the mound of pillows behind me. They're the softest I've ever felt and the blankets feel even better. I look at Ghirahim one more time before I settle my head back into the pillows and am about to close my eyes when I see the candlelight reflect something bright on the table. I squint my eyes and then sit up to get a better look. Then my heart pounds so deeply into my chest that it feels on fire and a broad smile creeps across my lips.

There, on the table, partially hidden by his cloak and knife, is my red earring I left him only a few days ago.

I bite my lip and my stomach feels full of butterflies now. That has to be my other earring, because the other one is still in my ear. There's no denying the unique shape and red color. I want to reach over and grab it, just to look it over. But there's no doubting it, it's my earring, and Ghirahim has it. I let this thought settle into my mind as I lay back on the pillows. I look down at Ghirahim's sleeping form. He looks peaceful, but also extremely tired. I settle down beside him and lay my head on my shoulder. Then I open my mouth because I want to tell him something, even though he's asleep and can't hear me. While I thought something between us had started happening in the past few weeks, I haven't realized until now that I've been feeling this for a while now. So I finally build up the courage and say it.

"I love you," I whisper. Even though I don't know if it's real or not, I at least care about him enough to love him. If something happened to him I..I really don't know if I love him or if it's just deluded thinking, but there's no denying the feeling in my chest. Even if he doesn't love me back, I just want to know that he's alright, which is completely insane.

I close my eyes after I say it and eventually fall asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

When I wake up I don't feel Ghirahim beside me anymore. I look over and see all of his things and clothes are gone from the table, including the earring. Had I just dreamt it instead? I throw the blankets off me and notice I'm still shirtless, but my trousers are still on. I need to stretch my legs so I get out of the bed and make my way for the only door in the room. I open it slowly and it creaks open. There is a hallway outside, lined with candles on the walls and a deep red rug extending to the end. I follow the rug out and slowly make my way to the end, where a set of stairs is going up. I climb them and go through the open doorway, then find myself in a large room with furniture and a hearth. I walk around the room and squint my eyes because sunlight is pouring in from one of the windows. I look outside to see where I am and notice I am up about three stories high. The land outside is green and flowers are blooming everywhere. I can see faint mountains in the distance and I wonder if they are the same mountains we saw before.

"Morning, pet."

I turn around on my heel fast and plaster myself against the window, startled by Ghirahim's voice.

Ghirahim chuckles at me and smiles crookedly. "No need to be jumpy," he says. "Relax."

I let out a breath of air and peel myself away from the window, then I make my way to him. "This is where you live?" I ask.

"I certainly hope so," he remarks, sarcastically. "Yes, it is." He looks down at me, at my bare chest, so I look away, blushing.

"I don't have my shirt," I say.

"I'm sure I can find you something. In the meantime, come eat something. You're already becoming too skinny."

I look down at myself but don't notice any difference. I shrug, then follow Ghirahim to another room, where a small table is set with food. I'm a bit surprised at this. Did he make all this? Just for me? When he gestures for me to sit down I take a seat and look at all the food. Then a thought occurs to me. "How long was I asleep?"

"You slept the whole night. This is day three now."

I swallow hard at that. Day three. He means day three of our week together. Is he just counting down the days until he doesn't have to be around me anymore?

When he sits down with me I begin to pile some food onto my plate. Sausage, bread, eggs, cheese, and various fruits. I don't hesitate in eating, either, because I'm starving. The food is amazingly good. My only wonder is where he got it all. There is also a jug of milk and a cup, so I pour myself some and gulp down a glass.

"I like a hearty eater," Ghirahim says, as he scrapes some butter on some bread.

I slow down eating when he says that, because I didn't realize I had been eating so ravenously. I look down at my plate and ponder the silence of the room before diving into the eggs.

"So," he sighs. "What would you like to do after this?"

I nearly choke on my eggs when he asks the question. I look up at him, shocked. "Um," I begin. "I don't know. What do you normally do here?"

"Take a walk, read books, find innocent boys to toy with."

I wince at that. "Sounds rather boring," I say.

"Why do you think I have you?"

"I'm boring too."

"No, you're not."

I take another gulp of my milk and look at him. My stomach is already full because I ate so fast. "Do you remember what happened last night?" I dare to say to him.

"Yes, I fell asleep, and woke up with you drooling on me."

I look down and smile at that. "No, I mean, do you remember what I told you about dreaming what happened?"

He rolls his eyes and sighs. "Yes, you silly boy. Obviously you can't tell reality from your own dreams."

"No, Ghirahim, I dreamed it, exactly. You said everything..exactly, for the most part."

He sighs and stands from the table. "I'm really growing tired of your childish games."

That makes me angry, so I clench my jaw, stand from the table and turn on my heel into the other room. But of course, he follows me.

"Walking away? Even more childish," he says from behind me.

"It isn't childish," I say, looking out the window from earlier. "You're the one who can't even admit you have feelings for me."

"Because there's nothing to admit."

"Then why do you have it?" I turn around and look at him.

He raises his brows and makes a face. "You're going to have to be a bit more descriptive."

"You have my earring. I left it at your place the other day."

"What earring?"

"Don't play dumb with me, I saw it on the table last night with your other things."

"Oh. You mean this?" He takes something out of his pocket and shows it to me. It is indeed my red earring. "I was going to return it to you. Here."

"I didn't leave it on accident. I left it for you, and you took it."

"To give back to you."

"You kept it because you wanted to."

He suddenly sighs but puts the earring back in his pocket. "So argumentative this morning, darling," he says. "You're really starting to get on my _nerves_." He grips my bare shoulders in his hands at that and shoves me against the wall.

He shoves me so hard that I slam against it and lose my balance and crumple to the floor, the wind nearly knocked out of me. I gasp for air and try to get to my knees but Ghirahim is too fast and squats down over me. He grabs my chin and grips it tightly in his hand.

"Now get this, pet," he starts. "You think just because I acknowledged that earring of yours that I'm supposed to have some kind of feelings for you? Well, you're wrong."

"Then give it back," I seethe. "You aren't worth it."

He doesn't like that. Not one bit. Because he slaps me hard across my face. This pain is different. I don't like it because I'm feeling a rift happen between us. My heart feels like it's been torn out from my chest by his words rather than his actions. His abuse only makes the sting worse.

"You want it back? Fine, here you go." He places something in the palm of my hand and closes it. "Two can play this game, you know." His voice is a bit softer now, but he's still crowding my space and there's no way for me to get up. "What did you think this was going to be, hm? Some luxury getaway with the love of your life? Allow me to let you in on something. I _don't _love you, nor do I care about you. So stop whispering it to me and stop pretending like everything is going to get better. Because," He pauses because I struggle against him, but he's still got a grip on my face and a grip on my shoulder. "Because, pet, I assure you, nothing will get better. You're going to keep squirming in my hands until you're so defeated you'll be nothing. Don't forget, I _**own **_you!"

I push against him at that, furious, but he only chuckles. I have to get away from him, because I can feel the sting of tears in my eyes. Then, so fed up and now heartbroken, I shove my knee up until it hits him in that certain spot, a spot no man ever wishes to be hit. It knocks the breath out of him and his hands cup the now damaged area. So I move quickly to my feet and run for the nearest door. It leads to a hallway and then some stairs, which leads to a bigger door I assume is the way out.

"Link!" Ghirahim screams from above.

I ignore him and run down the stairs, but being my clumsy self I trip and slide down on my butt. I wince and seethe at the pain – there will be a bruise there later. Then I feel him behind me. He jerks me up by my underarms and slams me against the stairs on my back, as if I wasn't already in that position. I guess it was just an excuse to hurt me more. He uses his mind power on me and I can't move my legs but I can still move my arms. I clench my jaw and look at him angrily. I won't hesitate to punch him in the face.

"You filthy maggot," he hisses, and crouches down over me. He grips my leg in his hand and digs his nails into my skin over my trousers. "Won't do that again, will you? No, not while I have you pinned down." He grabs my hair with his hand and I seethe. I hate having no control over my own body. "You do realize," he says. "The penalty for running away, don't you? And since it's been a whole day since we've done anything, I'm going to rip you apart. So it's up to you, whether you want to give in or not." He suddenly laughs and runs a finger down my bare chest. "At least we're already halfway there."

I close my eyes tight because the next thing he does is pull down my trousers roughly. I don't watch but I know he's stripping himself as well. Then I can feel him on top of me and I hate it because I can't move my legs, only my arms, which are gripping the carpeted stairs. He lifts one of my legs up high in the air and then he takes me by force. And it hurts, because I'm unprepared, because for the first time in a while, I don't want it. But I take it anyway, and though I wince, I stay quiet and close my eyes the whole time. I realize now, through his huffs and hard thrusting, that this isn't love, but some form of hate. A hate for me that I have yet to define. Ghirahim doesn't love me and I was a fool for thinking there would ever be hope for us.

He isn't kissing or touching me like he usually does, but he's huffing so hard that I know he's getting something from it. But I'm not reacting and I know that at least has to be getting to him. He does grip my shoulder in his hand, hard, but I turn my face away, against the stairs, and just wait for it all to be over.

He suddenly pulls out and when I dare to open my eyes I see him moving up over my chest. "Put it in your mouth," he says harshly.

I do as he says and reluctantly take him into my mouth. He thrusts so hard into me that it has me gagging a few times. Then he grabs my head, pulls himself out of my mouth, and pushes my face against him again, against his testicles, so I open my mouth and lick at the places he's pressing me against. But I don't think he wants me to be pleasured anymore. No, instead he wants me to beg. Beg him to stop, because he takes his hands and smothers my face in himself. I struggle against him and gasp for breath when there's a break for air. Without my feet I can't kick him, but I still have my hands, so when I can't find air I finally sock him one right in his ribs.

He grunts from the impact, grabs my shoulders, and throws me down the stairs. I roll down them until I come to a stop at the bottom. I took a bruising from each step and landing on my back didn't help. I squint my eyes and grunt in pain. I try to lean up on my elbows because he's coming down the stairs now. I give him a dirty look, one that shows him how angry I am, as he stands in front of me.

"You sure are daring today, pet," Ghirahim says. He bends down and straddles me, then he pins my arms down with his hands. "Do I have to hold _all _of you back? Do you really want that?" When he takes his hands away I try to move my arms but can't. Now he does have all of me under his mind control.

This makes me angry, so when he chuckles and bends down near my face I make yet another daring move and spit in his face.

He isn't happy at that, not at all. He freezes, and with one hand wipes the liquid I just spewed at him from his nose and mouth. Judging by his face, he looks disgusted, and rather angry. So it's no surprise when I take a punch to the face. It's so hard that my head turns and I'm not looking at the floor and the door. It's at this moment that I can't help but think of my heart, about how broken it is, that he would do this. To know that he never really cared and that it took me this long to really see who is. There's nothing left to do now except fight him like I did when this first started. It's time to give up.

"Let me go!" I shout, and I am given another beating to my face.

"You know what?" he says from above. "I think I'm taking more pleasure in hurting you than taking you. Forget about sex, pet, you've got my blood boiling too much for that."

I feel a release on my body and I know he's let me go, perhaps so I'll struggle back, so I can participate in his stupid little game. But as soon as he releases me I don't fight back, like I had planned. Instead I throw my arms up to my face to shield myself from being beaten any further, out of instinct. Because he has thrown his arm back up to hit me with his fist.

But the blow never comes. Instead, Ghirahim moves away from me. I dare to look up at this point, and see him sitting on the steps. "What?" I snap, and lean up on my elbows. "All your energy gone?"

"Your nose is bleeding," is all he says. He looks up at me with only his eyes. I can see the shadow there underneath those brown pools.

I reach up and touch the place under my nose, then I stick out my tongue and taste the copper liquid on my lips. "What does it matter to you?" I hiss. "Go ahead, do it, I know you want to. Beat me within an inch of my life. You've been dying to kill me, haven't you?"

He purses his lips at that. "I won't lie, pet, it's most pleasurable to beat you."

"Then what's stopping you now?"

"That pretty face of yours."

My heart stops at hearing that. I hate that he's still toying with me. "Don't," I say, and scramble to my knees. "_Don't_ you say that to me. I'm tired of the games, I'm tired of you treating me like I'm nothing one minute and something the next. Make up your mind!"

"Ready to leave now?" he asks.

I tighten my jaw at that. "No, I'll still stay here with you. Just don't expect anything to be like it was before. As far as I'm concerned, you're nothing, and I absolutely hate you now." I get to my feet, grab my trousers as I climb the stairs, and run all the way back to the room I woke up in.

Once I get there I close and lock the door behind me, even though he can transport himself in. Still, I want him to know I'm shutting him out. I pull my trousers on quickly but I don't go to the bed. I don't want to smell him on the blankets. Instead, I lean against one of the walls and slowly move down it until I'm sitting on the ground. I touch my lip and can still feel the blood there. Some of it is already dried. I can feel a sting on my cheek and all over my body. He did this to me and it breaks my heart because I thought I loved him. I'm so upset and angry that the only thing I can do is cry. I hate to do it, because I don't do it often. I try not to. But this, this is all too much. I try and muffle my sobs into my knees, getting my blood all over them in the process. But at the moment I don't care. Right now, I just don't want to be here and I wish I had never signed that contract.

After a few minutes of letting my emotions out, I start thinking about what I should do. I know I told him I'd stay with him the whole week, but right now I can't stand him. I have to get away for a while, even if just for a walk. So I pick myself up, pull on my boots, and rummage through the chest at the end of the bed I hadn't noticed before. I find a few shirts in there and pull one on. It's a bit big but it works enough. Then I unlock the door, take a breath, and make my way back into the room from earlier. When I don't see Ghirahim anywhere, I quickly pass through and make my way back to the main room with the stairs.

"Going somewhere?" comes his voice.

I stop in my tracks and turn around. Ghirahim is sitting in a chair. I stand firm and say, "Yes, for a walk. Unless you have something against that."

He raises his brows. "A walk? Looking like _that_?"

I'm amazed at how quickly he can go from angry to calm. "Yes. I'll be back later."

He waves me off with his hand. "Go then. Maybe you'll find a use for yourself out there."

I clench my jaw shut and turn away. Then I make my way down the stairs and out the door. And once I'm out, I start to walk forward. I don't really care where I'm going, nor how long I'll be walking. Right now, I just need to get away, from everything.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

I walk for a long time, for hours, until the sun goes down and the sky is dark and filtered with stars. I look up at them for solace, wondering how things are going on Skyloft. I wonder if anyone there misses me, or even notices I'm gone. More than that, I wonder about Zelda, about how hurt she probably is at me. She kissed me after all, so I know she still has feelings for me. And why shouldn't she? I did help protect and save her from Ghirahim, and I still am. If only she knew that. If only I knew how to reverse all this.

I sigh deep in my chest and watch the ground as it turns from grass to dirt. When I see this I venture to look up at my surroundings. Maybe it was the dark, or perhaps the daydream I was in, but now I notice that I am far from Ghirahim's mansion. Wherever I am now, it's become rockier and more dusty. In the distance, I notice some man made towers and instantly know I've crossed into someone else's territory, so I duck down and try to hide behind one of the frequenting rocks. Now that I'm focused, I can see there is a big wall behind the towers, and a building beyond that. And as my eyes adjust even more, I see a few men walking around the towers with lanterns in their hands.

My gut instinct tells me this isn't good and that I need to turn around and possibly run back to Ghirahim's mansion. The only thing I have with me is my dagger. I didn't bother bringing my sword because I had only planned on walking around the area, not walking for hours and for miles. But now I have no choice. I have to turn back, and fast.

But it's too late, because as soon as I stand up, as soon as I turn on my heel to leave and begin into a run, I crash into something and stagger back. When I look to see what it is that I crashed into, my eyes widen and I gasp, because there in front of me is a tall man with a big hammer in his hand. He smiles down at me as he slaps the head of the hammer against his open palm. I turn the other way and run, because right now my only instinct is to try and get away. But it's all to no avail, because the man catches me and manages to tackle me down to the ground, where the dirt scrapes my already beaten and bruised face. I reach for my dagger but the man slaps me and snatches it from my grasp. Then I'm knocked unconscious and everything goes black for what seems like a long time.

When I regain consciousness I'm aware of being moved. I open my eyes slowly and see the ground moving high up. Someone is carrying me. Though I'm startled and nervous, I don't fight back, because the last thing I want is to panic. Besides, I can feel that my hands are restrained, tied at my wrists.

"Got another one, Brim. Open the gate," I hear the man carrying me say.

I hear the sound of iron creaking and then I am thrown into a cell. A gate is closed before me and locked with a key by the one the man called Brim.

"Look like a fresh young one," Brim says, and licks his lips.

The other man slaps Brim on the back of the head. "He's still got a ways to go yet. Mind your stomach."

I gasp at that and back up against the wall. Brim turns away but continues to stand at the gate, while the other man leaves. All of this leaves me afraid and startled. What did he mean when he said 'mind your stomach'? I could only think of one answer on that one. I instantly know, by that statement, that I can't stay here for long.

"Ghirahim," I whisper into the air.

I purse my lips and struggle to get out of the tight rope binding my wrists. Luckily, they bound me from the front, but it still doesn't help my situation. But all my struggling doesn't help and only makes my wrists hurt more. So instead I look around for anything sharp that I might can cut myself out of with, but there's nothing that could possibly cut the rope binding me.

So for the time being, as the night is waning on and the guard stands watch, I lean back against the wall and hope that Ghirahim will come looking for me. But something deep in my chest tells me he won't and that I'm all alone.

Sometime during my time sitting there against the wall, thinking about what happened earlier with me and Ghirahim, I doze off to sleep and dream about him.

_"Link," Ghirahim says. "Where did you run off to?"_

_ I wince, because I can see him searching for me in the fields but he can't see me. It's like I'm someplace else looking at him through a glass globe. So instead I shout at him and I can hear my voice, but it's very deep and almost inaudible as it echoes against the glass prison I'm in. _

_ But Ghirahim seems to take notice of my voice because he stops what he's doing and looks around. _

_Ghirahim growls deep in his chest and says, "I can make out your smell nearby, but what is this other sense you seem to put off. It is damnable in every way to me."_

_ I look out from my bubble at him and bang on the glass with my fists, though my motions are slow. "I'm here!" I shout, that echo still deep and inaudible. "Ghirahim, I'm right here!"_

_ Again, he seems to hear me, but instead of stopping he quickly makes his way in another direction, away from my glass bubble. Then everything fades away._

I wake up to the sound of a creaky door opening and open my eyes to early morning light. I back up when the guard shoves a plate of food and a cup of water in my cell. When he closes the iron gate back and locks it again I quickly make my way toward the food. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning but I go for the water first, since my throat is parched. Then I quickly gobble down the bread and cheese on the plate. Within just a few minutes all of it is gone and I realize I have to urinate so I crawl near the gate and look up at the guard.

"Excuse me," I begin to say.

The guard – Brim – looks down at me with his eyes and growls – night what I was looking for.

"I was just wondering what one has to do around here to relieve himself."

Brim growls again but turns around this time. "Monkey human use his own cell." He snorts before turning back around.

Monkey? Well it beats looking like a pig, which is almost exactly what he looks like. "How am I supposed to undo my pants if I can't even move my hands?"

"Figure out," comes the growl. "Not my problem."

"It is your problem if I'm your prisoner. You guys want to eat me, right? Well I'm sure I wouldn't taste very good if I smelled like urine."

Brim looks back at me at that, as if considering. "Hm." He seems to hesitate with the keys on his belt loop, until another guard walks by and eyes him suspiciously. Then he seems to forget what I said and stands back in the position he was in earlier. "Hmp, no, you figure out."

My face falls and I roll my eyes in annoyance. I move back into the cell and undo the buckle on my pants, then I sit on my knees and relieve myself in the farthest corner of the cell. The cell is already too small to stand and if I keep having to urinate it'll become a stink fest soon. So when I'm done I cover the pool of liquid up with dirt with my bound hands. Then I lean back against the wall again. I think about the dream I had earlier and how I had seen Ghirahim searching for me. I guess I'm just a dreamer.

As I sit, the seconds turn into minutes and the minutes into hours. Then, finally, when the sun is beginning its descent below the sky, another guard comes to my cell. He stands in front of Brim and says, "Prepare the prisoner."

"But..but," Brim stutters. "He only eaten once!"

"I didn't ask you to question me! Prepare him now! That's an order!"

Brim seems to sort of snort in reply and turns to my cell as the other guard walks away. When he unlocks it I back away, ready to fight him if I have to. "Now, human," he says. "Come here."

I'm prepared for this, so when he comes at me I punch him hard across his face and kick him against the wall. I take the keys out of the door as I crawl out and lock him in there. When he reaches the locked the door I don't linger, because he starts squealing loudly in what I assume is an alarm to all the other guards. And at this point, I know I've messed up, because the lot of them are charging at me with spears now.

I run the opposite way in which they're chasing me, running fast on my feet, but my legs are sore. It's as I'm running that I think about how in the world I got in this mess. But not for long, because as I'm racing across the walled fortress, I see yet another group heading toward me. I don't know what to do at this point other than surrender, so I stop but bare myself, that is until I get knocked to the ground by one of them.

A few of them beat me with their fists and kick me in my ribs and stomach, and suddenly I wish I was back with Ghirahim, taking his beating instead. Because while this isn't hurting me mentally, it's giving me physical damage.

_Ghirahim, _I think.

Perhaps it's just my imagination, but within a few seconds of saying his name in my head, I hear and feel the withdrawal of my enemies. I'm battered and badly bruised, laying in the dirt, but when I dare to look up I see that all of them are running away from me now and towards something else. It's as I'm trying to stand on my hands and knees that I smell it – smoke. Something is on fire, something big. When I look back, I see it, the fortress itself and wooden crates and carriages on fire. I crawl to get away, because it looks like it's only getting bigger, but I bump into a lone guard making his way to the event. He looks down at me and smiles. Then he raises his sword high above my head, but it never makes it to me. Instead, I see a sword go through his own stomach, from behind. The sword quickly withdraws and my enemy falls to his death.

I'm stunned as I look down at the dead creature, but when I look back up I gasp in shock. Ghirahim is standing before me, cleaning his blade with a cloth.

"It's clearly not safe here," he says. "But you're also in no condition to walk." He looks around at all the commotion. It's nearly dark now. "Come on." He bends down, grabs me by my arms, and pulls me up to my feet.

I wince in pain from the bruises I've taken but when I look down I can see that I'm not just bruised at my ribs but bleeding. After he cuts the rope on my wrists I wince again.

I suppose Ghirahim didn't expect that, because he sort of grunts in surprise at my wound. I don't realize just how bad it is until I see the blood pouring out of it. "Dammit," he says and presses his cloth to it. "Hold it." He takes my left arm and slings it around his shoulders, but it's a bit hard to keep even with his height so he ends up bending down a bit to walk with me. My right ankle is swollen for whatever reason – I suppose it's just another result of the beating I took – so it slows me down. But Ghirahim encourages me to go on.

"Can't you just transport us?" I say, breathing hard.

"No, I don't have the energy."

When we reach the outer wall I look back and see the flames have engulfed a big part of the fortress. I want to ask him how he lit the fire and got it to spread but I suddenly feel dizzy and stagger against the wall. Ghirahim catches me and allows me to lean against it for a minute. Then he examines the ladder beside us. "You're going to have to climb," he says. "There's no other way out."

"I can't," I say.

"Oh yes you can," he says, but it comes out as a demand.

When we hear shouts behind us Ghirahim takes out his sword and readies it. I keep behind him look up at the ladder. If I'm going to try and ascend it, now would be a good time. I wince as I put my hands on the rungs and try my best to climb. When I'm halfway up I look down to see that Ghirahim has killed five guards. Then he jumps on the ladder and ascends quickly.

"Hurry," he demands.

I hurry as fast as I can and eventually, somehow, make it to the top of the wall. I look down and see the fields below but I'm not sure how we're going to get down.

When Ghirahim reaches the top he comes up behind me and pulls at my arm. "Jump," he says, pulling me forward.

"What – no!"

"Link, we're going to be cornered. They're coming back for us."

"If I jump I could die."

He looks at me at that, then to the area below, then back at me, and I can see in his eyes that he knows this is true. And that seems to bother him. "Fine," he says. "I'll put the rest of my energy into transporting."

"Alright," I say, and grab onto him. "I'm ready when you are." I wince as I hold my wound.

"No," he says, and suddenly pulls away from me. "Just you. I have only enough for you."

My face falls at that as I look up at him. "No," I start. "I won't go without you." I look around and see the hordes of creatures now coming after us.

The muscles in Ghirahim's jaw tightens and for a moment I stare at the breeze blowing his fine hair. "Just in case I forget later," he says and moves in to peck me a kiss on my forehead. Then he backs away, puts his arm out, and closes his eyes.

"No!" I yell but before I know it he's transported me and I'm suddenly standing in a field. In the distance I can see Ghirahim's mansion. Somehow, as the dizziness overtakes me, I am able to make it to his door. I let myself in and make it only a few steps before falling at the foot of the stairs, the same place Ghirahim had beaten me before.

Then everything goes dark as the silence of the room screams in my ears.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

When I wake I can feel the pain burning below my ribs. My eyes are blurry as I try to open them. It's then that I realize someone else is beside me. When my vision clears and I lean my head up I see someone I've never seen before. He looks to be a very short, small framed and middle aged man. When I see him I realize he's the one making my wound burn so I move slightly to let him know I'm awake.

"Oh," the man says, his voice a bit high pitched for a man of his age. "You're awake." He pauses a moment before taking a cup in his hands, and then presses it to my lips. "A cup of water to soothe you before we begin. Now that you're awake this won't feel good for you. You have quite the wound, sir, if I may say so. I'm heating the needle now to sew the skin back together."

My eyes widen at that. I don't know who this man is but I know I have to trust him because if I don't then I'll end up dead either way. So I down the cup of water in one gulp and shiver, which earns me an odd chuckle from the small man.

"Thought you were a goner back there," he says, and takes the cup back.

"Who are you?" I suddenly say, no longer interested in the man. I want to know where Ghirahim is, because now everything is coming back to me in a rush.

"My apologies, sir," he says. "My name is Sal. I am the Lord Ghirahim's servant."

I narrow my eyes at him and wince as he pours water over my wound. "I thought this place was abandoned," I say.

"Well, when my lord didn't come back, everyone fled, except me. I had no where else to go, yous see. So I stuck around and he came back, his head still stuck in books and whatnot. He was determined to set that monster free, even after he had failed."

"Why didn't he then?" I mumble, sort of quickly.

"Because he had another plan."

"What?" My jaw twitches, but not from the salve he's putting on my wound.

Sal looks up at me and attempts a smile. "You, sir."

My cheeks go red at that. How long has this man known about me and Ghirahim? And what has he seen go on while I've been here? When I think about what happened on the stairs a few days ago, my cheeks burn even more. What if he had been watching?

"Where is he?" I suddenly ask, trying to pass the awkwardness in the air and also worried about where Ghirahim could be.

Sal looks up at me a moment before looking back down at the wound. He takes the needle heating over a small fire and pulls a thread through it. My heart pumps fast at seeing it. "My lord hasn't returned," he finally responds. "I can only hope that you were worth it."

"W-what are you talking about? Worth what? What are you-ahhhh!" I cut my own self off with a scream, because he has punctured my skin with the needle without warning. It's at this point, with my head thrown back and my body finally coming to life, that I realize I am strapped down to the table I'm laying on. "Stop, stop!"

"I can't stop once I've started. I suggest you take what you can."

But the pain is too much and he isn't exactly being gentle at all. The pain is searing on my open wound and I can feel tears running down my face. My whole body feels shaky and I hate that I can't move my arms. Instead I'm strapped down, like some prisoner. And the more he sews my deep wound, the more light-headed I feel, until I'm breaking out in a sweat and my eyes are rolling in the back of my head.

And just as the pain is so overwhelming that it almost knocks me out, I hear a voice say, "Sal!"

"Ghirahim," I whisper, so low I know it's inaudible, but when I look up with my blurry vision I see him, standing tall in the doorway.

"My lord!"

"Leave us," comes that harsh demand I know too well.

"But my lord, I'm in the middle-"

"I said leave us!"

There's a brief pause, then a, "Yes, my lord."

A door closes and I look up with what strength I have left to see Ghirahim still standing at the door. He looks tired and worn, more than I've ever seen him look before. Within a few seconds of being alone, he makes his way tiredly to the table and doesn't hesitate in leaning down and taking my face in his hands. He frames my cheeks and touches my forehead to his, then he kisses me softly on my lips. He brushes them against his, then he takes one of his hands and removes one of the straps from my arm. Then the other.

As soon as I'm loose I try to sit up but am immediately reminded of my wound and seethe in pain as I lay back down and nearly pass out from the action.

"Shh," Ghirahim coos. "Bear with me, Link. I'm going to continue." He picks up the needle, dips it in a bowl of water, and then heats it again over the fire nearby. He then hands me a cup and I drink it, but I make a face this time because it isn't water but some kind of medicine instead.

"It should take the edge off," he explains. "I'm sorry that my servant was too much of an blathering fool to give it to you." He looks at me with a bit of pity before taking the needle from the fire and continuing, with more ease, to stitch my wound.

I wince slightly but Ghirahim is more gentle than Sal, whom I swear was trying to reopen the wound more instead. To focus on the pain, I lock my eyes onto Ghirahim's, on the dark shades there, and my pain seems to ease even more. I feel more comfortable with him in the room. He saved my life after all and he's my lover as well.

"Thank you," I say. "For coming after me. Of course I had a plan."

Ghirahim chuckles at that. "Oh yes, hero. That plan seemed to be working quite fine when I arrived."

I smile and let my eyes close, because I trust him to help me. And I do, I let him continue silence with the needle until he's finished. I open my eyes to see him take a cloth, dip it in a bowl of water, and lay it on my now sewn wound. The area feels numb now and I'm thankful for the medicine he gave me to drink, though now my head is feeling heavy and my lids tired.

"I can't move you right now," he says as he cleans the table I'm on. "Your wound might reopen. Best to lay here for a while." Once the area is cleaned he pokes at the fire burning just below and throws a blanket over me. Before he turns around again for something else I grab his arm.

"Why did you come for me?" I ask.

He looks down at me, his face a mixture of doubt and longing. "Because, pet, I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

I'm taken aback by that, but shake it off as I ask, "How did you know where to find me?"

He looks away, making sure I'm covered by the blanket as he says, "I'm bound by your scent. If I can't ever find you, I just follow it to wherever you are, but it's not always easy."

"Like a..dog?" I smile as I say the word.

Ghirahim looks at me devilishly. "You want to know why I couldn't bear losing you, don't you?" he asks, ignoring me.

"Of course I do."

"We're bound, Link." He drags something, a stool, from nearby and sits it in front of me. Then he sits down. "There's some kind of..connection between us, one that is strong. I not only sensed you from your presence and scent, but I almost _heard_ you speak to me through..I'm not sure."

I force back a smile as I say, "Then this connection, it's spiritual."

He rolls his eyes at that. "Call it what you want, pet. I told you, though, that you and I are bound by a thread of fate. Your dream you told me about, about it happening before, you weren't the only one who dreamt that."

My body stiffens as I look at up at him. I swallow hard, trying to understand. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, hero, that I had the same dream. We shared it."

I almost gasp in surprise, but at the same time it doesn't really surprise me.

"So yes, in a sense, whatever is between us, it seems to be a manifestation of something spiritual. I don't know how else to explain it."

"You mean..like soul mates?"

He raises his brows at that, as if the suggestion was new, and we both look away.

I'm very surprised that he's talking so calmly with me about this and at the same time I feel awkward, as if I'm not talking with the Ghirahim I know.

"It didn't take long to figure out," he continues. "But rather, it just took too long to accept it."

I want to believe everything he's saying, and I do, but at the same time a part of me can't help but feel a bit of doubt. How can I trust him? But then, as I'm going through these thoughts in my mind, I see him slip his messy hair back and I see it. It makes my heart stop right there for a few seconds, but causes me to smile nonetheless. A flash red near his ear proves he wanted my earring for himself.

With this comforting thought in mind, I turn my head to look at the ceiling and close my eyes. "If this is true," I say "If we are truly bound by soul, what will we do?"

"The same thing we've been doing."

My eyes fly open at that and I look over at him in surprise. He's standing from the stool now and I watch him with my eyes.

"There's no denying what's going on between us, that I'll finally admit." He suddenly looks at me and laughs. "What are you thinking, Link? That you and I would be together, _happily ever after_? I'm a demon, remember, and I feed off of souls like yours. So vulnerable, so breakable. I let myself care for you, yes, to the point where I'm searching for you all night and day. And why? I can't even tell you, because it wasn't something I wanted to do, but rather I felt I _needed _to do it. So before you go professing love to me, let me just tell you this." He places his hands on the edge of the table and glares down at me with angry eyes. "I may, and will, slip up every time just to keep you alive, but as soon as you are safe and back in my domain things will return to how they were before."

I'm already too broken inside for tears, but this I can take anyway so I say, "If you're just slipping up then why were so kind to me earlier? You sacrificed yourself for me, you came in and kissed me, gave me medicine, were gentle with my wound, unlike your servant, whom you never told me about."

"You didn't give me time the other day to introduce you."

I shut my mouth after that and look away from him.

"Sleep for a while," he says. "I'll be back later." He turns on his heel and leaves before I can say another word.

I do eventually sleep, and wake up in another room – the one I originally slept in with the bed. Ghirahim must have transported me sometime during the night without me knowing. I try to sit up but wince in pain and immediately fall back on the bed. My chest is still bare so I look down and see the stitches in my wound. It looks better than it did but I'm also feeling very dizzy.

"How are you feeling?"

My heart jumps and I gasp as I snap my head in the direction of his voice. He's there, sitting beside the bed in a far corner of the room. I hadn't noticed him at all, which creeps me out slightly. How long has he been watching me sleep?

"I..feel faint," I say.

"I'll have Sal bring you something." He gets up from his chair, makes his way to the door, and rings a small bell at the top of the door that I hadn't seen before.

He looks over at me as he makes his way to the bed, and sits down. "Like it?" he asks. "It's my own system. Unfortunately it worked better when I had more servants."

Suddenly there is a knock on the door.

"Come in," Ghirahim says, not looking away from me.

Sal creeps in. "You rang for me, my lord?"

"Yes, fetch me a tray of breakfast, please, Sal." He turns his attention to the small man now. "And the herbal medicine I made this morning."

"Yes, my lord." Sal avoids my eyes as he leaves, shutting the door behind him.

I can't help but wonder if the small man knows about us, which makes my cheeks turn red. As far as I know, no one knows about us, and no one is _supposed _to know about us.

"What's wrong?" Ghirahim says to me.

I shake my head and look away. "I just..does he..know..what goes on between us?"

"Sal?" A devilish grin creeps upon Ghirahim's lips. "I have told him you are my pet, but nothing more."

I raise my brows at that. "He..doesn't seem very shocked."

"That's because he isn't."

I tighten my jaw at that and say nothing more on the matter. I look up at Ghirahim as he sits on the bed and notice he has a wrap around his right arm. "What is that?" I ask, pointing at it.

Ghirahim looks over at his arm and says, "Oh, this? Just a minor flesh wound while I was off fighting your captors."

"Are you..alright?"

"I'm alive, aren't I? It was _you_ who barely made it."

"Why did you bother transporting me?" I ask, ignoring him.

"Because you were weak and in no position to fight or escape."

"You could have ended everything, the contract..just, everything."

"Who says I want to?"

I look at him for a few seconds before looking down. "Is this how it's going to be then? A love-hate thing between us?"

When he doesn't respond I look up, shocked, because he usually always has something to say back whenever I mention anything being between us. But instead of looking angry, he is looking away, across the room, as if thinking.

"What do you want me to say, Link?" he finally starts. "That I love you?" He looks at me at that.

I relax back into the pillows and sigh softly. "No," I say. "I don't expect you to and I know you don't. I just..am becoming confused at what's going on between us."

"Well so am I," he snaps. "Don't make me try and explain it, because I don't know how."

"You don't have to."

He looks at me at that and slowly makes his way to me on the bed, until he's right in front of me, his face just inches from mine. "I've never met someone quite so willing to hurt their self for someone they were once enemies with. You stumble over yourself for me, come crawling back after every beating I give you." He takes my chin in his hand and lifts my face. He touches a bruise on my cheek, one I had gotten from falling on the ground the other day when captured. "Why do you take it?" he asks.

"I don't know," I whisper, because saying 'I don't know' is better than confessing my love for him, which I am still unsure of.

He takes my face in his hands at that and kisses me full on my lips, but not for long. Our kiss is very short, but I can't help but relish in the taste. He pauses as he pulls away and stares at my face. "This is getting too full of mush for me," he says, and jerks my face away.

It hurts, but I smile at the pain. "Where are you going?" I ask, seeing him stand from the bed.

"Out. You need to rest. That wound needs to heal completely."

"I can walk."

"I'd rather you not."

Just then, Sal walks in the door carrying a tray.

"Besides," Ghirahim continues. "Sal is here with your breakfast. Pardon me, gentlemen." He gives me a sly smile before making his way out the door.

I'm hesitant about taking the tray from Sal. We didn't exactly meet on good terms, seeing as he practically tried to stitch me up in the most rigid way possible. But I take it anyway, and thank him for it.

"Anything else, sir?" he asks.

"No, thank-you," I say.

"Let me know if you need anything, sir." He hesitates a moment before saying, "I'm used to serving for my lord, though my hands aren't what they used to be."

I look down at them as he holds out his hands and I can see that they are shaking quite animatedly. "I'm sorry," I say.

"It is quite alright, sir. These hands have served many a young men. Though, I have to say, you have lasted longer than his other suitors."

That stops me in my tracks as I stir the beef stew in my bowl. I look at Sal and narrow my eyes. "Other suitors?" I ask.

"Of course, sir. My lord has taken many young suitors to his bed, but none of them have lasted as long as you, if I may say so." He looks toward the door, as if he is afraid he will be overheard.

I think for a moment on what he's saying, and when I see Sal back away for the door I stop him. "Sal," I say. "Wait. Tell me, how many men has he brought here?"

Sal raises his brows and looks up a moment, as if thinking. "Ah, well, I'm not sure, sir. Twenty, perhaps? Maybe more?"

My heart seems to drop deep into my gut upon hearing that.

"They don't usually last the week. My lord has been with you for months, has he not?"

"Yes," I say, weary now. "Thank-you, Sal. I think I need to lie down."

He nods his head at me before turning for the door. And once it's closed I don't feel like eating, but I force myself to anyway, even though everything Sal has just told me is making me feel sick. What is Ghirahim really trying to do here? Am I just a pawn in his game, like his other _suitors_, or am I nothing? Am I just like them? Being used and thrown away at the end of the day?

Only one thing is keeping me from becoming too distraught, and that's what Sal said about me being the only one he's been with for the longest. Of course I signed a contract, so he can keep at it all he wants. But..does that mean that..during our months together, he has also been coming here with other men?

That thought alone tears my heart in half and I can't help but feel the sting in my eyes and the welling of tears. I place my tray on the table beside the bed and lay back on the pillows. Then I close my eyes and the tears spill out over my cheeks. I hate crying, but there's no way I can hold back now. The thought of our time spent together, the thought of me loving him while he's away in the daytime, is too much to bear. Because now all I can think about is where and who he spent his days with when he was away from me.

And I hate, for the first time, that I am jealous.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

I wake up the next morning and venture out of my room. I had slept the whole day and night yesterday, at Ghirahim's insisting. He had given me some kind of medicine to make me sleep and of course I took it. I'm becoming too trusting of him. But today I want to stay out of bed so I leave the room and make my way into the bigger room that I went to before, with the dining area to the side of it. I notice the smell of food and follow it into the dining room and see plenty of bread, cheese, eggs, and bacon laid out on the table. As I walk in, I expect to see Ghirahim but instead see Sal and stop short.

"Oh," he says. "You're awake, sir. Please, have a seat and begin. My lord is a bit late this morning."

"Late?" I ask as I make my way to the table. I sit down and say, "What is he doing?"

"He hardly tells me what he's doing half the time, sir. I just make his meals."

I look at my plate at that and take a sip of milk instead. As I shovel eggs onto my fork, I think about asking Sal more about Ghirahim's past lovers, as I'm assuming they were. I look around first, just to make sure Ghirahim isn't hiding in a corner, like he likes to do so often, and then take a deep breath.

"So Sal," I start.

"Yes, sir?"

"What you said about Ghirahim having..suitors. Were they all..men?"

Sal hesitates at that. "From what I can remember, sir, I don't believe so. My lord is very..diverse in the matters of men and women."

"Why do you say suitors? Was he looking for someone to settle down with?"

Sal hesitates at that. "I..have no other word for it to put it..nicely. My lord, he is young yet, but also aging. He was very young indeed when I came to serve him, but he has also changed since then. He wasn't always so..malevolent."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, sir. I shouldn't be speaking of him without his knowing." He turns to walk away but I stop him short.

"Wait," I call. "One more thing, please, Sal. Just tell me, while he has been with me, has he brought anyone else here?"

Sal turns his head and looks at me a moment but he hesitates. But just as he begins to open his mouth, he stops and turns all the way around, suddenly wide eyed.

"My lord," Sal suddenly says, and bows his head.

I turn in my chair to see Ghirahim standing in the open doorway, leaning against the frame of the wall. My heart seems to stop. Did he hear what I just asked?

Ghirahim smiles crookedly before looking up at Sal. "Are you done here?" he asks, rather harshly.

"Yes, my lord," Sal replies.

"Then leave us to eat." His voice is a hiss and when he pushes himself off the frame and stands tall there is suddenly a very overpowering sense in the room, one radiating from him alone.

I can see now, as Sal hurries from the room, that he's afraid. Afraid to leave Ghirahim and afraid to speak up to him. It irritates me but I don't let it get to me as Ghirahim takes a seat across the table from me. I turn the eggs on my plate over with my fork, keeping my head down on purpose.

"Do you always pick at your food?" comes Ghirahim's voice.

I react to that by looking up at him, then taking a bite of egg, but I look away from him quickly because I don't like the way he's looking at me. It's as if he's studying me from across the table in a curious way.

"What, you can talk to Sal but you can't talk to me?"

I bite at my cheek a second. "No, guess I'm just not that talkative this morning."

"Seemed full of questions to me."

I stop eating and fold my arms on the table. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough."

"How much is that?"

"Enough."

I stare at him curiously as he takes a sip from his cup.

"What?" he says, then he rolls his eyes. "We can talk about this later. How is your wound?"

"It's alright, thanks."

He narrows his eyes at me and I notice he's slouching his chair. He also isn't eating, instead he's got his right arm on the table. "Why are you being so short with me?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want," he says slowly. "You to tell me how you're feeling."

"I feel fine. So what are we doing today?" I ask, trying to change the subject, and he smiles crookedly at my attempt.

"Well, I thought I'd show you the rest of the place, since we really haven't had the chance yet. After all, only the rest of today and tomorrow before our week is up."

Had a week really already almost come and gone? For some reason, after everything that's happened, I don't want it to end. I smile at him and nod my head. "I'd like that," I say.

Ghirahim shows me the rest of his mansion after breakfast. It has more rooms than I thought and also a library, which is filled with books and also very messy. There is a much large kitchen downstairs and also a study and weaponry room. The rest are mainly sitting rooms and others that haven't been used in a long time. He saves the garden for last, which I didn't know was there before because it was behind the building.

The garden is huge and I'm very surprised that it's been kept up so well, what with the abandonment. There are hedges as high as my shoulders and flowers on the sides. There is a fountain in the middle of the garden but the water is murky and full of algae. Though some of the garden has been kept up, I can see that some of it is being overgrown with ivy and moss, which actually adds a rather nice quality to it all. It reminds me of the Sealed Grounds.

"I never would have thought you'd have kept such a place," I say out loud as I stand in front of the fountain.

"Why, because I'm a demon?"

I bite my lip at that and walk away. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Of course." I suddenly feel his hand in mine, stopping me in my tracks and turning me around to face him. With his hand still in mine, he raises his left hand to my face and runs his fingers down my face. "I have somewhat of an obsession for beautiful things."

My cheeks go red at that, I can feel the hotness on my face. I look at him and he looks at me for a few seconds, but I'm the one who looks away first and he's the one to withdraw his hand. Things are a bit awkward between us, that I'll admit. He saved my life by looking for me and sewing my wound. Then he confessed to me that we were connected spiritually somehow. What I can't figure out is why he seems okay with it, yet at the same time a bit annoyed.

"The goblins that captured me," I suddenly say, breaking the silent tension between us. "Will they come looking for you?"

"No," Ghirahim says simply.

"What did you do?"

"I set fire to their fort, then fought many of them off before leaving."

"I see you have a wound there." I nod my head toward his arm with the wrap still around it. "One of them speared me, like they did you. Since I'm half demon, I'm not prone to damage like you. Yours was much worse. You're lucky to be alive."

"So,"I start, sitting on the fountain. "If I had died, what would have become of the contract? Would you have found another?"

He looks at me a bit blankly a few moments, as if he doesn't know what to say. "I hadn't planned on you dying."

I raise my brows at that and actually crack a smile. "I'm a human," I say. "I _will _die some day. What of you, demon?"

He doesn't seem to like me calling him that, because he puts on an angry face and walks right up to me. He grabs me by the collar of my shirt and pulls me down off the fountain. "_Don't_ ever call me that," he hisses at me.

I clench my jaw tight against his rough handling and then grunt as I'm sent back against the fountain, my back hitting the wall. "Are you angry because I called you a demon or because you just can't die?"

"You..are testing me, _dog_."

"Tell me," I say, preparing to ask him again what I had before. "Would you have found another?"

He raises his chin and I can see the muscles in his jaw clenching. I know he hates my question but he answers anyway. "Yes, I would."

My heart sinks tremendously upon hearing him say it, but I don't know why I had such high hopes to begin with. "Of course," I half laugh and push myself away from the fountain.

As I begin walking back toward the mansion Ghirahim calls me from behind. "Link," he says. When I turn around to face him he continues, "Why did you ask Sal if I have brought anyone here while I was also with you?"

I hesitate, struggling with the right thing to say. Finally, I get out, "I just wonder..if I was good enough. If you had to have someone else..I must not be a very good lover."

"You were never my lover. You were always my pet."

I look at him for a few seconds before looking down and turning away, then I make my way back into the mansion, away from him.

Ghirahim visits me in the middle of the night, while I'm laying in bed trying to sleep. There's a window in the room I hadn't noticed before and it's letting in the bright light of the moon. It's as I'm focusing on the window and the light that I feel him come up behind me in the bed. I never even heard him enter the room so it takes me by surprise when he snakes his hand up my arm. I tense and freeze but I don't jump. I'm too far past that now. I recognize his touch and welcome it more than I should.

"Our last encounter was rather..hostile," Ghirahim whispers against my ear. "So tonight I'm going to take it easy on you." When he kisses my neck I close my eyes, because I absolutely love the feeling he's giving me, even though it's giving me chills.

My shirt is already off so as I feel his hand snake down to my chest I expect him to tug at my trousers. But..he never does. Instead he lays his chin on my shoulder and freezes his hand there on my chest. He sighs against my ear and nuzzles his face in my hair, then he inhales deeply.

"You smell amazing," he whispers.

My heart skips a few beats at that. "I..I do?"

"Yes." He pauses just long enough to kiss the curve of my neck. "Tell me, Link, do you mind if I sleep with you in your bed tonight?"

I'm taken aback by that and hesitate before answering with a confused, "Yes.."

I expect him to do it, to tear off my trousers and take me by force, but he never does. Instead, he continues to lay behind me and hold me. As I look out the window I can tell that he isn't asleep, because I can hear when he blinks and he stretches his body every so often. So in order to avoid my confusion and nervousness at this, I eventually close my eyes against the moonlight and try to sleep. When I feel myself finally drifting, I forget about the tension I feel between us and grab his arm with my hand and hold it as I finally fall asleep.

_I'm in a house someplace, though I'm not quite sure where. Everything looks tidy for the most part, except for a desk covered with books and papers. There are strange little things on shelves, like painted clay pots and statues of dark figures. Some of them look ghastly. I head for the door to look outside so I can see where I am. When I open the door I'm blinded by a bright light – the sun – and so I have to put my hand to my forehead to cover my eyes. I look around and see a gentle breeze is blowing a garden of flowers and vines. For some reason they remind me of Zelda so I pick one and smile as I look at it. It's pink and bright, like her._

_ It's as I'm looking at the flower that the clouds move in overhead. The breeze turns into more of a wind and the sky grows dark and gloomy. I look down at the flower and see that it's beginning to wilt in my hand. I look down at the garden and they are all wilting too. I look around, as the wind grows colder and harsher, and see someone walking my way. My face relaxes when I realize it's Ghirahim. I half smile and the wind seems to die down a bit. _

_ "Ghirahim," I greet him, but my voice is a bit of an echo. _

_ He looks up at me and smiles crookedly. Then he stops in front of me and looks down at my hand. He sees the dead flower there and picks it up. He looks at it for a few seconds and before I know it I'm seeing the dead pink petals turn black and spring back to life. He gives it back to me and I take it but prick my finger on a thorn that seems to have grown back with the flower. I marvel at this but look at the flower nonetheless. Now when I look at it all I can think about is him._

_ Ghirahim turns away from me and looks out over the field he just came from. "Pink or black?" he asks me._

_ I look up at him slowly. "What?" I whisper._

_ "You can't have both."_

_ "Ghirahim," I say, looking back at the flower. "I don't understand."_

_ "When I gave you a beating I thought you'd run, and you did. That was enough proof to me that you couldn't last a week with me. But it was I who came looking for you. I've never done that before. I wanted to break you, Link, I wanted to see you suffer. But all that suffering turned on me instead."_

_ I don't say anything, but I notice that the clouds are gray now and the wind is back to a breeze. The sun's rays are attempting to poke through the clouds and everything is calm._

_ "I'm terminating the contract," he gets out._

_ My eyes widen at that. "You..you what?"_

_ "You're free to choose, Link. Me or Zelda. I won't take her from you and I will no longer control you. You have my word on that. I know your answer but I wanted to give you the choice." He turns around and takes a few steps towards me. "So which is it, the delicate flower or the malicious thorns?"_

_ I look up at him and hesitate, because I honestly don't know what to do. Do I try and woo Zelda now, with this startling and comforting information, or do I stay with Ghirahim and subject myself to a life I never meant to have?_

_ When I take too long to answer it seems to anger him, because the sky grows dark again and the wind picks up. A roll of thunder sounds in the distance and Ghirahim is seething in front of me._

_ "I knew all this talk of love from you was just a phase. Filthy human." He takes a few steps back and I open my mouth to talk but can't seem to get out any words. _

_ When he finally turns away from me I call after him, but just like my voice, he becomes lost in the distance.._


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

I wake up with a gasp and throw my arm beside me, but Ghirahim isn't there on the bed. Only the blankets are wrinkled where he was laying. I look around the room, which is full of light now, and my face falls when I don't see him in the room.

I sit up and rub my face with my hand, and as my palm covers my chin I realize something and my heart seems to stop in my chest. Last night, Ghirahim hadn't used me, he had only slept with me, something he's done only one other time before. Though I don't know if he slept the whole night with me in the bed. However, it had been the first time I had ever fallen asleep in his arms.

A chill runs through me as I swing my legs over the side of the bed and I bite my lip in response to how I'm feeling. I want some form of pain to replace the pain I feel in my heart. Because now I feel it aching and I'm finding it hard to distinguish if this is love or not. I stand to my feet and walk to the window. The light isn't golden but rather blue, because the skies are cloudy and the world outside looks dreary. It's a day to reflect how I feel inside.

It's as I'm gazing out at the landscape that I hear it; a deep and melodic sound. I turn around and furrow my brows, then I make my way to the door. When I open it the sound is more distinct and I can tell it's the sound of a piano. I only ever saw one once in my life but I hadn't remembered seeing one here in the mansion. Perhaps it was because I hadn't been looking for it and had missed it because I've been too preoccupied with Ghirahim.

I quickly pull on the shirt Ghirahim gave me to wear and quickly make my way out of the room. I stop just outside and listen a moment. The music is very low but audible. I bite my lip, hesitating, but eventually take a step forward onto the red rug extending its way down the hall. Then it's up the few steps and into the first big room that connects to the kitchen. But Ghirahim isn't in here. He must be across the hall in the other room. So I quietly make my way across the room and into the hallway beyond that lead to the main big room. I go down some of the stairs that are connected to the bigger longer staircase leading down to the main door and go directly across to the other set of stairs going up to the other side. It's on this side of the mansion where the other room is.

Once I'm at the door I stop and shiver, because the notes on the piano have picked up and sound heavier. I can hear the music clearly now and as I come into the room I can see Ghirahim sitting on a stool by the window, hunched over the piano. It's a very dreary and haunting melody that he plays, one that makes my heart ache even more than it already is. It's as if he's pouring his entire soul into what he's playing, as he sways his head to the side and moves his fingers so solidly upon the keys. Everything, everything..that I feel like he's wanted to say to me..I feel like he's saying it now in this melody. It's such a sweet, heart-wrenching sound. So much that my eyes feel with tears. And that's when I notice the rain streaking the windows. The curtains are drawn wide and I can see the glass reflecting my face. The tears stream down my face, because the pain in his keystrokes are screaming in my ears.

I'm so in tune with what he's playing that I don't even realize until the last key is played that he's done. When the room suddenly goes quiet and all I can hear are raindrops on the window, I wipe my face and look up to see him staring at me.

"Did I wake you?" he asks.

"No," I reply, "But if you did I wouldn't have minded waking up to that."

"It's just a hobby of mine." He stands from his stool and looks out the window. "Especially on days such as this."

I lean away from the wall and join him at the window. I look up at him from the side, at how tall he is, and then at the window and the rain as it falls in sheets across the land. "What you played," I start. "It was..beautiful."

I can feel his eyes on me, looking at me from his peripheral vision. "Well I should hope so," he says. "The inspiration came from you."

I gasp softly at this and look at him, my face showing confusion.

"What? You help bring out quite the musings."

"I, I don't know what to say," I reply, watching the raindrops slide down the glass.

"I don't expect you to say anything."

"I suppose this is our last day," I say, changing the subject, because things feel a bit awkward.

"It's _your _last day here with me. You'll still be expecting me so don't think your nights are so free."

I think back to the dream I had. It had felt so..real. So real in fact that I had to remind myself that it hadn't really happened. "Of course," I say.

"And how has your stay with me here been? Rather dull and boring, I presume?"

"No," I say, which is the wrong answer, because I know it will only make him angry. "I liked it."

He leans down and into my face, until I can feel his hair tickling my cheek. "You, my pet, are a horrible liar."

I swallow hard as he pulls away. I don't know if it's a lie, because I don't even know what my own heart is feeling right now.

"It's alright, I'll forgive you for it. I think you've been punished enough, don't you agree?"

I bite my lip and hesitate before saying, "No."

He looks at me at that and I can tell he wasn't expecting that answer. "In that case, don't expect a decrease in roughness. I've invented a scale I want us to try out."

"Scale?"

"Yes. On a scale of one to ten, you tell me just how much the pain I inflict on you feels." He stands behind me and leans in close to my ear. "One for least painful," he says, placing his hands on my arms lightly. "And ten for when I make you _scream_." He tightens his hands around my arms and pushes me up against the rain stricken window.

I grunt from the impact, but get his point. I also know it's been a few days since we've done..anything, which is cause for possible harsh treatment. So, knowing I can't do much to get away – actually I don't want to get away – I remain against the window, my hands against the glass, as he moves his hands up and down my body from behind. I'm breathing against the glass and I can see it's making a fog from my breath. I can still see the raindrops in my vision, continuing to fall. I close my eyes against them when he pushes his whole body against me. I can feel how worked up he already is so I brace myself.

I'm suddenly torn away from the window and pushed away. He backs me up until standing at the furniture I had noticed in the room before. He then closes the doors I came through in the room, then passes beside me and sits in one of the large chairs surrounding a hearth, then he beckons to me with his finger. I go to him, of course, and stand in front of him as I wait for what's next. But he doesn't do anything. Instead, he only sits deeper and lower into the chair and stares up at me.

"Take off your clothes," he suddenly says.

I raise an eyebrow and hesitate, but my hand goes to the ties on my shirt, ready to obey him.

"Slowly," he snaps.

I look up at him a moment before continuing on the ties. It's a bit awkward undressing so slowly in front of him, but I can only imagine what's going on in his head as he watches me do this. My nerves are on end, because we haven't done this since he was so rough with me and I swear sometimes it's like it's the first time all over again. But I keep on, undoing the ties until my skin is showing and I slowly take off my shirt.

Ghirahim smiles crookedly at me and props one of his legs up on the other and places his chin in his hand, still staring at me.

I swallow hard, because he's so comfortable watching me, but my hands go down to my trousers now. I notice my wound, which still looks pretty ugly but is almost healed for the most part, and try to hide it with my arm. I can only hope whatever he's planning doesn't re-open it. Once the button on my trousers is free I slide them down until they're all the way off and on the floor. Now I am completely naked before him, and with my own arousal becoming obvious, I blush and look away, which earns me a laugh from him.

"Come here," he says.

I look at him and slowly take a step forward until my knees are against the chair. His legs are both on either side of me now, both feet planted on the floor so that I'm between him. He reaches around and places his hand on my bum, then moves me forward until I'm on top of him in the chair. I have to hold on to his shoulders to grip myself in the chair, which isn't easy, and he pulls me down onto him until my naked body is against him. I can feel how aroused he is from feeling him under his clothes. And I feel even more of him when he moves my body in a motion against him. Luckily the chair is deep enough for my knees to somewhat rest beside him for this.

He runs his hand up my body and places it on the back of my neck, his fingers feeling my hair, while his other hand is on my bum, pushing me against him. With his hand on my neck, I realize he wants me to bend down and kiss him, so I do, which only makes my thinking foggy. And I have to admit, what's going on feels good so I keep going against him a little faster now, until I'm frustrated that there are clothes in the way.

"Please," I beg, tugging on his shirt.

He chuckles in response but seems to give in to me, because he stops what we're doing and takes off his shirt. But it isn't his bare chest I want right now, though it's nice to feel and touch him there. So I tug on his trousers but he growls at me.

"So eager, pet? Why don't you tell me what you want?"

I look down at him and my jaw tightens. I don't want to tell him, he already knows. But I get out, "I want you in me," nonetheless.

He smiles crookedly at that and within a few seconds his trousers are off and I'm on top of him again. And this time, I don't rub against him, but go straight for his arousal and support myself on his shoulders as he penetrates me from below. And once he's in me, I rock back and forth on him. And from there I can't help the intense feeling he's giving me, that place between pleasure and pain. The way he looks up at me with his eyes, the way he touches me too hard, the way he sucks at the skin on my neck, it's all good. And before I know it I'm going faster on him and his breathing is picking up and he's grabbing me with more force, more of a hard grip. I know there will be bruises later but I don't expect anything less from him. It's at this point, as we're touching and melding together, that I know I'd rather feel pain from him nothing at all. If he doesn't return any love I have for him, then at least I know he'll give me this.

I keep a watch out for my wound, making sure it doesn't re-open as we move faster. When I see that it's fine, I devote my full attention to his mouth. And with me in this position, it doesn't take long for him to reach him peak and before I know it he's releasing inside me, his voice a spasm of huffs and grunts as he pushes me down onto him. I rock on him for a few seconds, feeling his swollen member twitch inside me. I don't release, however, and he doesn't do anything about it. Instead, he pushes me off him and I land on my bum on the floor. I wince and look up at him, confused and a bit hurt.

Ghirahim stands to his feet and looks down at me as he quickly pulls on his trousers and shirt. "Tell me," he says. "How that was on my scale."

I hesitate and swallow, thinking on what I'm going to say, before I get out, "One at the beginning, ten at the end."

He crosses his arms at that and walks back to the window, where it's still raining lightly. "You should go eat," is all he says, his back to me.

I do as he says and grab my clothes quickly. It's hard to tell what kind of mood he's in but I'm also sensing a change in him lately. One that is very hard to decipher. So I decide, while I find something to eat, to try and pry Sal for more information.

Finding Sal isn't hard, as he always seems to be in the kitchen. This time I find him downstairs cooking over a fire. When he sees me he lowers his head.

"Afternoon, sir," he says.

I nod at him. "Afternoon," I reply.

"It will be ready in just a few more minutes."

I walk around the table and sit at a chair at a small table. "Sal," I start. "Can you tell me something truthfully if I ask you."

He turns around and looks at me, then at the door. "What?" he says, rather softly.

"It's about Ghirahim. The other day, when I asked you whether there had been anyone else here while he's been visiting me..I need to know."

Sal looks again at the door, then back at me. "I was advised not to say, sir," he says. "But..my lord has been very difficult of late."

I can see a sort of pity in his eyes as he looks up at me. "I wouldn't want to get you in any trouble, then," I say.

Sal suddenly sighs and takes a step toward me. "There were two, both men."

My heart seems to stop beating where it's at and my chest begins to ache tremendously. I look down, upset and now heartbroken.

"The first was when he mentioned the contract with you, but I don't think he had confronted you yet, but he may have. He had started going out more and more for a couple weeks. That one stayed a day. Then there was a long stretch and the last one stayed for a day. But that was nearly three weeks ago," he continues.

I narrow my eyes and look back up at him. "Three weeks? So he is getting tired of me," I say and pound my fist on the table.

"If I may say so, sir, he hasn't been himself since he's been with you. The last one he had here, he made him get out the very night they shared the bed, and he was angry the next day. Then he left to go see you."

"I don't know what to think about that," I say.

Sal sighs heavily before turning back to the pot over the fire. "If I may be so bold, sir, I can see you're very fond of him. Just a bit of advice for you, I'd let him know how you feel. You might be surprised to find he may feel the same."

"I have told him."

"No," he says, turning to look at me. "Not just words of love. Tell him _everything_."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

For some reason I feel a bit better when I'm back in Skyloft. I left Ghirahim's mansion two days ago and haven't seen him since, but already I feel lonely and depraved of his presence. It makes me sick that I feel the way I do about him, and almost angry. But time away from him also makes me think about how pathetic I've become. I got so lost in my depression that I let him control me, I became..soft. Of course my nature has always been a bit on the soft side, but I've never let a person control me as much as he has. And then been blatantly blind to it all.

I sigh and hang my head down as I sit on my bed. Such a pathetic fool I am, for ever signing that contract. It was all to protect Zelda, yes, but in the end I should have taken him down. After all, I've done it before so why not again? There's just that one thing that always seems to come to my mind, though, even now. That thing I still can't shake to this day, had to force myself to shake it off as I fought him before. But back then I had no choice. It was either let the world burn or destroy him. Still, though, even now, it comes to me.

_Your incessant buzzing around my head like some irksome gadfly when I'm THIS busy is...Well, it's making me very disagreeable._

Perhaps I'm just over-analyzing all of this. He always meant that I was a nuisance to him and that's how I should have taken it. But I can't help that perhaps, just maybe, he was so focused on me that it was making his work harder to do. But after all the things we've done together, after all the things I've said to him – admitting I loved him while he slept even – why would that one phrase come back to my mind above everything else?

Because..in the end I know that I'm simply that. An irksome gadfly to him. A nuisance, an annoyance, something that just gets in the way. I close my eyes at this conclusion I've made and remind myself that I am alone in my room. I look at the door. He isn't coming. And why should he? I am nothing more than that incessant buzzing around his head. Though to this day it baffles me as to why he didn't rid of me on every occasion we met.

Eventually my analyzing gets to me and I have to get out of the room, so I leave my room and make my way down the hallway and up the stairs to the second level of the Academy. I avoid everyone now these days and many people have begun talking about my reclusive behavior. Perhaps I just don't know who I am anymore, or what I'm supposed to do next.

Once I'm at the end of the hallway of the second level I make my way out the door and inhale the fresh night air. The stars are glittering in the sky – it's one my favorite things about Skyloft, the stars. I feel closer to them up here, as if they see me first before they see the land below. I look around to see if anyone is near before making my way for the ledge that leads to the roof. If I'm going to be alone, I'd rather it be out here with the stars, so at least I feel some form of comfort. Once I make it to the top I sit against one of the inner walls and sigh.

It's as I sit here and look up at the stars that it comes to me, the anger. Anger about everything that's happened, that's gone on. I can't keep going like this, because I'm becoming weak. And so, the next time Ghirahim decides to show his face, I'm going to tell him, no demand. Demand that he rid of the contract and..rid of me. And if he doesn't then..I'll just have to stop him if he ever tries to do anything to Zelda or raise Demise again.

Easier said than done, though, I suppose. I don't know how I'm going to build up the guts to tell him but I suppose I'll have to make him listen. I laugh out loud, trying to think of Ghirahim sitting there listening to my words and imagining him agreeing, when I know he would basically laugh in my own face. Still, it's worth a try, because things aren't getting any better. The more time I spend with him the more attached I become, and jealous too, as this past week showed me. And if this past week with him taught me anything, it was that I don't like being with him all the time. He was right.

I sit for so long, thinking, that I don't even notice until I look back up at the stars that a few clouds have made their way across the sky, blinding my view of the twinkling dots. A slight breeze is blowing now too and I look across to see more big clouds in the distance. A shuffle in the dark breaks my eyes from the sky and I suddenly avert them to the side. I know it's him, so I prepare for whatever is about to happen and take a deep breath. I tell myself I can do this, that I can tell him I want out of the contract, but my heart is thudding against my chest so hard I feel like I'll end up backing down. But why should I be afraid?

"This is a most unusual spot to engage in strenuous activity," comes his voice.

I shift uncomfortably and roll my eyes. "We aren't doing anything strenuous up here, or anywhere for that matter," I say sharply.

There's a silence, and an awkward one at that. I dare to look up at him as he makes his way to the wall in front of me and leans against it. He doesn't look happy but he doesn't look angry either, which is good I think.

"Why the long face?" he asks, seriously.

I look up at him with my eyes, then shake my head and look away. "I..I want out of the contract," It's so refreshing to say it that I close my eyes, almost half expecting him to get in my face and manipulate me further. But he never does. Instead, all he does is chuckle, which makes me look up at him in surprise. "What's so funny?" I ask.

His face is relaxed as he looks at me, and his arms are crossed now and he has a foot up against the wall, with no intention of coming near me. "Just you," he responds. "I have to admit, I didn't think you'd last _this _long."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're so naïve. Maybe that's what I like most about you. Your innocence, your sheer ignorance." He chuckles again but now he's got me angry so I stand to my feet.

"Tell me what you've been hiding from me!" I snap.

He smiles crookedly at me and eyes my body, but by now I'm used to it. "I never intended to bring back Demise," he suddenly says seriously. "Kill your Zelda, possible, but as long as your around I won't, because you're too much fun to mess with."

"If you never intended raise Demise again or kill Zelda then why did you do this to me? Why did you lie about it?"

"I got bored and you pissed me off. I couldn't kill you because that wouldn't satisfy the hatred I had for you. No, I wanted to get back at you and make you suffer the most traumatic thing a human being can go through. Emotional trauma."

"Well you succeeded," I say. I feel my eyes stinging but mainly I'm just angry.

"I know. And you were such a good sport. And see, I told you, spend a week with me and you'll end up realizing just how much you don't want to be with a demon. Now you're begging me to end the contract. I told you it was just infatuation."

For some reason, I'm not surprised by anything I'm hearing. In fact, it's almost a breath of fresh air to get everything from him. Instead of letting the tears come to my eyes and responding out of emotion, like he wants me to do, I look at him straight and say, "So then the contract can be ended?"

He averts his eyes for a second, as if thinking, and moves off the wall. "Let's not get carried away now."

"No, I want out. You said yourself you were never going to kill Zelda or raise Demise. So then I have no reason to keep doing this with you."

"So then that's it? You really choose Zelda-"

"Of course I do! She was the only reason I ever agreed to be your pawn. You got what you wanted, you got your revenge. Now just end it and let me be."

He suddenly sighs and reaches under his shirt. There, tucked away into his belt, is the contract. He unrolls it and holds it out in his hand. "You want to end it? Fine, go ahead."

I raise a brow. Is he being serious? Is he really giving up this easily? "What's the catch?" I ask.

"No catch. I got what I wanted."

There's something in his voice that I can't make out, something that almost sounds like letdown, but there's no way Ghirahim would ever be let down by anything I do. "If I do," I start. "Where will you go?"

"Away from you."

My mind tells me to take the contract, to rip it up, burn it, whatever I can. But my heart, my stupid heart is telling me to stay tied to him, to keep being his slave. My heart has a poor idea of what love is. Instead of doing anything I turn away and place my hands on the edge of the wall, thinking about what to do.

"Such a hard decision when it comes being sexually abused or sexually free. But the longer you wait the more my male parts start going."

I purse my lips at that and seethe as I suddenly turn and snatch the contract out of his hand. I tear it in half, right there, and again and again and again, until the bits of paper are so small that they're fluttering through the air. I look down at some of the pieces and wait for Ghirahim to do something, anything – grab me, hit me, force me to the floor of the roof – but he doesn't. The only thing he does is stare at me until I look up at him.

"Impressive," he says.

"And you no longer own my soul?" I ask.

There's a pause before he replies with, "No. Not unless you give it willingly to me."

"I have no reason to do that."

"Why not? No contract would make the gift more special, don't you agree?"

"What, now that the contract is over you want me to give you my soul of my own freewill? Haven't you tortured me enough?"

"No, I could never torture you enough." He starts in a walk toward me. "You're that incessant buzzing in my ears that just won't go away."

"So you've said before."

He stops just in front of me and looks down at me. "Perhaps you don't have to give me your soul," he says. "But you can always give your body to me, _willingly_ that is. Anytime you want."

My heart leaps at that. Does this mean he wants to keep seeing me? Could it be possible that we could start an actual relationship now that the contract – no, no, I need to stop thinking about him like that. Even though I tell myself not to give in, I find myself nodding anyway. "Yes," I whisper. "Yes, anytime you want."

"I'm leaving now, Link," he suddenly says.

I nod my head but look up at him, wanting to say something but all I can get out is, "Where?"

"Oh, I'll be around. And you know, if there's ever a time where you want me, you could also use that dream skill of yours."

I narrow my eyes at that. "Are you saying that we do share dreams?"

"It happens," he hesitates. "When two..people connect in a way."

_Soul mates_, I think.

"Link."

I snap my head up at him.

"I'll see you again, but not any time soon."

I swallow hard and wonder when exactly I'll see him again. Then he does something that makes my heart ache. He takes my face in his hands, smooths his thumb over my cheek, and kisses me lightly on the lips. Then he smiles crookedly, chuckles, and quickly moves away from me and across the roof. I stare after him until he disappears, transporting away from me. It's then that I realize just how silent my head is and how much my chest hurts. I don't even realize it's raining until I hear the thunder in the distance, a signal telling me I should go inside. But I don't want to. I'd rather let the rain cry for me, because I don't want to cry over him. No, I can't. A pang of regret hits me as I sit against the wall, getting soaked by the rain.

I wish I had never torn that contract.


	22. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The rain never seems to cease these days; and for a reason I have yet to discover, a new wave of sorrow has found its way to me through those dreary clouds. I relish in their darkness, such a reflection of my inner being. But for reasons I can't understand, I wonder why this new aching has found its way to me. Sorrow and ache, what a combination I was hoping to avoid, at least together. Sorrow by itself is permissible, it cultivates the dreary side of one's being. But aching, it's something I have yet to explain. Perhaps I should call it more longing. But for what? I know to well, I just won't admit it, at least not out loud and certainly not to him.

Link. The fool. He hasn't the faintest clue how to run his own life. I've planted his own path to self destruction. I know him, what makes him break, what makes him bend. And all it will take is a little time alone, a little self reflection before it dawns on him what exactly he's done. If he ever makes a future with Zelda, it will be spent in misery for the time he spent with me. Regret, shame, lies. They'll all happen and he'll see to it that she stays safe. Because she's his obligation. Because in all honesty, I think he really does love her.

"My lord," comes that voice. That voice of Sal's that I'm getting tired of hearing.

I growl deep in my chest but continue to stand at the window and look out at the rain. "Yes," I say.

"Will you be looking for another?"

I raise a brow. "Another? Another fool, you mean? No, I'll keep visiting Link."

"But it's been weeks, my lord."

"I know."

I hear him sigh, which annoys me. "My lord, if I may say so, you seemed at your best when with Link."

"He chose Zelda. He wanted the contract to end. I offered it to him to terminate and he did. There's nothing left except to take advantage of him."

"But if he realizes that he loves you over her-"

"He doesn't love me!" I yell. I look back at him and he looks down. Then I look back at the window.

"He tried to, my lord. You just never gave in."

"Because I don't know what love is."

"Love has to be learned."

"I don't want his love." I look down my hand and rub at my skin with my finger. "I want his soul."

Thunder booms overhead and I can feel Sal's eyes bearing into my back.

"You want him to give you his soul so that you can be together..forever?"

"Yes."

"Him giving his soul would be the ultimate sacrifice. You would be bound forever, you would be his keeper."

"More than that. Him giving me his soul would be the equivalence of two people giving their hearts to one another. I have no other way to explain it, except for some human analogy."

"Is that your plan then, my lord, to take his soul?"

I clench my teeth tightly and look up through the glass. "Not take it, but accept it if he offers it."

"I can only wonder then, what Demise would think of that."

I look back down at my hand, which has been clenched the whole time, and open it. "Doesn't matter," I say, and smooth my thumb over the red, shiny earring that belongs to Link. "But one day, when I make my return back to the underworld, I'll be dragging him back with me."


End file.
